Natural flood management (NFM) uses natural processes to help reduce the risk of flooding to people, properties and infrastructure.

Ecologists, engineers and landowners are coming together up and down the country to use NFM to store and slow flood waters. At the same time, we can re-create wildlife habitats and provide other benefits for soil protection, water quality, re-charging groundwater supplies and increasing the resilience of catchments adapting to changing climatic conditions.

Flood waters naturally need something to ‘chew on’ to reduce their energy and to slow them down. Rivers and streams with natural features such as meanders, backwaters, ox-bows, wooded corridors, wetlands, in-channel gravel shoals and log jams all help to slow flows and store water and sediment.

The main priority for NFM is to take a ‘catchment-based approach’ to identify the best areas to restore these natural features. Transforming the Trent Valley is delivering a number of NFM projects in partnership with a wide range of organisations, communities and landowners.