Evidence to drive the right activity
Robust evidence helps us make the right decisions. The Partnership will combine scientific data with the experience of farmers, landowners, and rural communities to inform the work we do. The Partnership will then use this combined evidence to support and encourage others to play an active role in enhancing flood resilience in rural areas alongside sustainable food production.
Strategic outcomes:
A wider understanding of the specific challenges associated with both rural flooding and coastal change, and what resilience looks like.
Clear approaches to identifying, valuing and measuring rural flood risk impacts for farm businesses and rural communities.
| We want to see | What we will do | When from | Who will lead the work |
|---|---|---|---|
| A growing evidence base on the impacts of flooding to rural areas and the practices that increase resilience | Work with universities, research councils and other partners to produce world leading research through the Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Research and Development Programme. (R) This will include: Specific consideration of rural impacts in new research, Inclusion of rural expertise in research advisory groups, Review and identification of any gaps in existing research and evidence. |
2024 | EA |
| Greater awareness amongst people working in FCERM that the impacts of flooding on rural areas are different to those felt in towns and cities | Share the findings of the research, evidence and project review with rural communities and businesses and seek their views on what the evidence says and how that applies to their experiences | 2025 | All Partners |
| Survey farmer and landowner views on their experiences of rural flooding and their approaches to flood resilience | 2025 | NFU | |
| Use existing evidence and feedback from farmers and landowners to identify the flood data needs for rural communities and businesses | 2025 | EA | |
| Seek feedback from rural sector organisations using the Environment Agency Flood Warning and Flood Guidance products to better understand and document their needs for any future sector specific services | 2024 | EA | |
| Commission research into the multifunctional benefits of lowland water level management for habitats, soils, peat, flood risk and water resources | 2025 | ADA | |
| Greater awareness of the practices that increase the resilience of rural communities and businesses to flooding | Identify and promote the practices adopted by farmers and growers here and in other countries to improve their own resilience to flooding and the benefits to the wider catchment. | 2025 | NFU |
(R): this is part of an existing action in the FCERM Strategy Roadmap to 2026