Mallon publishes second cycle Flood Risk Management Plan 2021-27

Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon has today published the second cycle Flood Risk Management Plan 2021-2027.

Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon

This follows a public consultation on the draft Plan. The measures within the Plan focus on prevention of flooding, protection of individuals, communities and the environment and preparedness arrangements for flood warning and emergency response.

Minister Mallon said:

“This Plan outlines objectives and measures to manage flood risk that will benefit citizens across all of Northern Ireland.  In recent years, flooding to homes and businesses in Northern Ireland has presented considerable challenges to both people and communities directly affected and to those providing emergency responses to it.  Flooding has devastating impacts on human life and health; damage to property; pollution to rivers and the sea; and severe effects on economic activity, infrastructure and the environment. The climate emergency is making this more frequent and the recent COP26 event in Glasgow highlighted that climate projections indicate that changing rainfall patterns, rising sea levels and more extreme weather conditions will increase its occurrence in the future.

“Whilst the Plan focuses on 12 areas of significant flood risk with specific measures tailored to manage flood risk in particular locations, it also sets out measures for sustainable flood risk management across all of the North including the wider River Basin Districts.”

The Minister continued:

“I also recently published ‘Living With Water in Belfast: An Integrated Plan for Drainage and Wastewater Management in Greater Belfast’. Both this and the Flood Risk Management Plan, demonstrate my commitment to delivering policies, projects and improved ways of working that will reduce flood risk, provide a cleaner and greener environment and help us to adapt to a changing climate. What is important now is that we seek to build on all of this work. We must work together with urgency to meet our Climate Change ambitions, grow our economy, address regional imbalance, improve wellbeing and support a thriving region where people want to live, work, visit and invest.

“Our approach to flood risk is a key part of this and I hope that readers find this second cycle Flood Risk Management Plan informative. I look forward to seeing the benefits of its implementation and further development over this six-year planning cycle 2021-2027.”

The Flood Risk Management Plan and Living With Water in Belfast can be view on the Department’s website at: Second Cycle Northern Ireland Flood Risk Management Plan - 2021-2027 and Living with Water - Belfast Plan.

Notes to editors: 

1. The Flood Risk Management Plan is an important step in the implementation of the Floods Directive, and is a requirement under The Water Environment (Floods Directive) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009.
2. All media queries should be directed to the Department for Infrastructure Press Office at: press.office@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk
3. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.
4. Follow the Department on Twitter @deptinfra and on Facebook @DepartmentforInfrastructure.

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