What are natural flood defences and do they work?

By Duncan Huggett

Working with natural processes involves restoring catchments, rivers, floodplain and coasts to their natural functions.

Natural flood management can offer significant benefits: first and foremost it can help to manage flood risk, usually in conjunction with more traditional measures. Plus, it can increase the resilience of flood and coastal defences to the impacts of climate change. In some locations more traditional defences might not be viable so natural flood management may provide alternatives.