7.4 Flood Risk Management

7.4 Flood Risk Management

Flooding is a natural process that plays a role in shaping the natural environment. Floods are a regular occurrence and the Region has experienced a number of severe flooding events in recent years, particularly on flood plains and in coastal areas, where flood risks will increase due to more frequent extreme weather events and sea level rise linked to climate change. Flooding can occur from a range of sources, individually or combined, including: coastal flooding (from the sea or estuaries); fluvial flooding (from rivers or streams); pluvial flooding (from intense rainfall events and overland flow); groundwater flooding (typically from Turloughs), and other sources, such as from blocked culverts. The long-term land use planning of the Region must also consider the likelihood of higher flood risks both inland and in coastal locations due to climate change.

Water management is subject to two key EU directives, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) , which aims to improve our water quality; and the Floods Directive, which aims to reduce the risks associated with flooding.

Flood Risk and the Planning System

Flood risk prevention aims to avoid or remove a flood risk. The National Climate Change Adaptation Framework 2018 requires certain public bodies, including local authorities, to prepare local and sectoral adaptation plans. The planning system plays a major role in land use and flood management, integrated through the planning hierarchy at national, regional and local levels, and is central to the strategic flood risk management pillar of ‘Prevention’.

Flooding can be positive for the environment, such as where many wetland habitats and species depend on periodic flooding for their conservation. However it can also pose a potential threat or flood hazard to people and property, cause damage to the environment, such as pollution of habitats, and to our cultural heritage, such as monuments and historic buildings. Sustainable land use management and natural flood risk mitigation measures can slow down the water flow in catchments and rivers, for example by protection and/or rewetting of peatlands and bogs and by planting hedgerows across hillsides. Such measures may not be able to solve severe flood problems on their own, but can form part of the solution and can also help to achieve environmental goals, including improving water quality, nature conservation/ biodiversity and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The Guidelines on the Planning System and Flood Risk Management44 provide a systematic framework for the consideration of flood risk at all stages in the planning and development management processes. The Guidelines adopt a sequential approach when integrating flood risk assessment into the process of policy and plan making, based on avoidance, reduction and mitigation of risk.

Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) and the development of permeable surfaces can play a role in reducing and managing run-off from new developments to surface water drainage systems, reducing flood risk downstream, improving water quality and contributing to local amenities. Green Infrastructure should be recognised and preserved where possible as natural defences against flood risk in both urban and rural areas (See Section 7.7 in relation to Green Infrastructure and Chapter 10 Infrastructure for more detail including Guiding Principles for incorporation of SuDS).

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44 Flood Risk Guidelines for Planning Authorities, 2009, jointly developed by the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government (DECLG) and the OPW

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Environment and Climate

Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs)

The integration of RFRA into the RSES ensures that all future zoning of strategic lands for development in areas at risk of flooding shall follow the sequential approach set out in the Planning System and Flood Risk Management Guidelines. Where the RSES recognises the need for development in areas at potentially significant flood risk, local planning policy and decision making shall take full account of existing and potential future flood risk to avoid and minimise the creation of new flood risks that could otherwise arise through inappropriate future development.

The national Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) programme is central to the medium to long-term strategy for the reduction and proactive management of flood risk in Ireland. The programme delivers on core components of the National Flood Policy and on the requirements of the EU Floods Directive and was undertaken in cooperation with local authorities and other public bodies, and was co-ordinated with the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD).

REGIONAL POLICY OBJECTIVES:

In 2011, the national Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (PFRA) identified 300 communities at potentially significant flood risk (96 within the Eastern and Midland Region), referred to as the Areas for Further Assessment (AFAs), which were then the focus of the CFRAM Studies and the Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs). AFA areas within the Region include Dublin (23), Kildare, (16) Laois (7), Longford (6), Louth (8), Meath (13), Offaly (9), Westmeath (3) and Wicklow (11).

Flooding

RPO 7.12: Future statutory land use plans shall include Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) and seek to avoid inappropriate land use zonings and development in areas at risk of flooding and to integrate sustainable water management solutions (such as SuDS, nonporous surfacing and green roofs) to create safe places in accordance with the Planning System and Flood Risk Assessment Guidelines for Local Authorities.

The OPW has published predictive fluvial and coastal flood maps prepared through the CFRAM programme for the AFAs, including Flood Zone maps developed in accordance with the definitions set out in the Flood Risk Management Guidelines. The predictive flood maps for the AFAs will inform the long term planning and development of the Eastern and Midland Region, as part of RSES45. See Appendix H for a list of new Flood Relief Schemes in the Region to be advanced in intial phase to detailed design and construction.

RPO 7.13: EMRA will work with local authorities, the OPW and other relevant departments and agencies to implement the recommendations of the CFRAM programme to ensure that flood risk management policies and infrastructure are progressively implemented.

RPO 7.14: Local authorities shall take account of and incorporate into the development of local planning policy and decision making the recommendations of the Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs), including planned investment measures for managing and reducing flood risk.

Regional Flood Risk Assessment

The Flood Risk Management Guidelines identify that regional flood risk appraisal and management policy recommendations are necessary to set a regional policy framework for local planning decisions and policy making. A Regional Flood Risk Assessment (RFRA) has been carried out in conjunction with a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to inform the preparation of the RSES, taking into account those areas that are vulnerable to two key sources of flooding – fluvial and coastal - and to ensure the effective management of flood risk coupled with wider environmental, sustainability and economic considerations and in line with national strategic outcomes that seek the consolidation of established settlements in the Region.

RPO 7.15: Local authorities shall take opportunities to enhance biodiversity and amenities and to ensure the protection of environmentally sensitive sites and habitats, including where flood risk management measures are planned.

45 Flood maps are available to view at www.floodinfo.ie

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Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy