Water

Making space for water
Risk management guidance

Timeframe

  • Summer 2008  - publication of new policy statement on appraisal

Latest news

  • 30 July 2008 - Defra launches consultation on a new policy statement on appraisal for flooding and coastal erosion risk management. 

Introduction

Government policy is moving towards taking a more strategic and sustainable approach to managing risks and it is intended to achieve this through the development of an updated strategic risk management framework.

A key part of this project will be to develop broader risk management tools informed by the outputs from several research and development projects and other work streams of the Making Space for Water programme, particularly Better Environmental and Social Outcomes, Stakeholder Engagement, Outcome Measures and Research Review on Climate Change. After wide consultation, starting with preliminary engagement events with stakeholders in summer 2006, Defra Flood Management will publish a new set of policy statements covering all levels of appraisal.

Following this, new guidance will be produced by the Environment Agency on best practice for appraisal of flood and coastal erosion risk and decision making that will incorporate any new methodologies and tools developed and to encourage their use. We shall ensure that any new policy is clear and accessible and, where necessary, publish separate documents explaining the processes to lay readers so that they can be understood and effectively disseminated.

In association with this work we will review a number of assumptions and approaches in current guidance to ensure that they are still appropriate and worthwhile. SD5 will further review research on climate change and assess the approaches that have been recommended to operating authorities. Any changes in current recommendations will be incorporated in the revised guidance.

Links to Outcome Measures (SD4)

Project SD4 will develop, pilot and launch appropriate and challenging Outcome Measures for the Environment Agency and other operating authorities. Structured appraisal is an important pre-requisite for the application of Outcome Measures. Outcome Measures have been developed on the assumption of a commonly agreed framework for risk assessment and appraisal to ensure that the results are comparable between different types of project in different locations.


Research and Development work which will inform new appraisal policy and guidance

(Reports can be accessed from our Research and Development pages.)
SD3 Project Outputs
Other relevant research

Page last modified: 30 July 2008
Page published: 9 December 2005

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs