Abstract
AbstractNatural flood management (NFM) is the use of natural processes and environments to mitigate flood risk by reducing and delaying peak flood. This review introduces the concept and history of NFM and looks at the current state of research into the potential for using different types of woodland to fulfill the aims of NFM. Four woodland types (catchment, cross‐slope, floodplain, and riparian) are discussed with reference to studies carried out, mainly in the United Kingdom, to determine the relative merits of each type and their effectiveness in mitigating flood risk. We then discuss how trees interact with the hydrological cycle, along with a discussion of modeling methods which seek to determine the amount of water intercepted by different types of forest cover. We find that while there is some evidence that carefully planned and managed woodland can mitigate flood risk, the published data for this evidence base is somewhat sparse. This may be either due to the long timescales needed for comprehensive studies or the relative infancy of the research on NFM. More research needs to be carried out in each of the four woodland types, especially in the UK, as policy makers are increasingly looking towards nature based solutions to mitigate the potential impacts of climate change. The concept of a combined canopy/hydrological model which can be scaled from stand to watershed level and incorporate different types of woodland is suggested as it would be beneficial in guiding woodland creation policy in the future, both at the local and regional scales.This article is categorized under: Science of Water > Water Extremes Water and Life > Conservation, Management, and Awareness
Highlights
The threat of flooding has been ever present throughout human civilization, and it is inevitable that, given the need for settlements to be close to a water source, a flood will occur at some stage
This review introduces the concept and history of Natural flood management (NFM) and looks at the current state of research into the potential for using different types of woodland to fulfill the aims of NFM
The concept of a combined canopy/hydrological model which can be scaled from stand to watershed level and incorporate different types of woodland is suggested as it would be beneficial in guiding woodland creation policy in the future, both at the local and regional scales
Summary
The threat of flooding has been ever present throughout human civilization, and it is inevitable that, given the need for settlements to be close to a water source, a flood will occur at some stage. In the period 1980–2011, reported flood losses globally increased from $7 billion per year in the 1980s to $24 billion per year in 2001–2011 (adjusted for inflation) (Kundzewicz et al, 2014). Data from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction 2020 report “Human cost of disasters” show that 44% of all disasters which occurred worldwide from 2000 to 2019 were floods, more than double the previous 20-year period and affecting 1.65 billion people (United Nations, 2020). The UK government Foresight project reported in 2004 that the annual cost of flooding is £2.2 billion each year, of which £800 million is spent on flood and coastal defenses, and £1400 million is damage (Evans et al, 2004a, 2004b). Individual events have a dramatic influence on the damage figures, with the summer floods of 2007 incurring a cost of £3.2 billion, and the winter storms of 2015–2016 costing £1.3 billion (ABI, 2016; Ward, 2016)
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