Greater urgency needed to deal with the challenges facing flood risk management, says Audit Wales

In recent years, Wales has experienced the devastating impacts of flooding and, despite continued investment, flooding continues to be a big risk to the country. With extreme weather events likely to become more frequent, a report by Audit Wales looks at how flood risk management works in Wales and key issues for the sector.

Climate change is increasing the risks and associated costs of flooding. Rising sea levels and higher levels of rainfall are increasing the chances of flooding happening. The events of February 2020 and storms Ciara and Dennis are a stark reminder of the impact of extreme weather, with 3,130 properties in Wales known to have flooded.

There are substantial costs associated with managing flood risk. In 2021-22, the Welsh Government provided £59.6 million of funding for flood risk management. Significant long-term investment will be needed to tackle the increasing risks associated with climate change and flooding, while inflation will put pressure on existing budgets. Tough decisions will need to be taken about how to prioritise finite resources.

The most immediate priority for the flooding sector is increasing workforce capacity. The current workforce is under pressure, and without additional workforce capacity in the right areas it will be difficult to address the challenges facing the sector. Flood risk management is a specialist area, requiring broad skills which are hard to find.

Our report also identifies several other key issues impacting flood risk management in Wales:

• There are gaps in collective leadership and policy integration.
• There are gaps in flood risk data and the risks themselves keep changing with climate change.
• Building development in high flood risk areas could be exposing households and businesses to avoidable flood risk.

Auditor General, Adrian Crompton said today: “We have seen the terrible impact of flooding on our communities and the economy and climate change means this is likely to happen more frequently. The issues are not new. Our previous audit work and other reviews have highlighted the need for action in long-term planning, adapting to climate change and building workforce capacity. Despite some positive developments, there are serious questions about whether public services can keep pace with the increasing risks and challenges associated with flooding.”

Ends

Notes to Editors:

• Download the report, under embargo
• This Picture of Flood Risk Management report explains how flood risk management works in Wales, including expenditure trends and key challenges for the sector. Our report does not make recommendations but highlights important and pressing recommendations from recent reviews.
• The report is part of our ongoing programme of work looking at how public bodies are responding to the challenges of climate change.

o   Public Sector Readiness for Net Zero Carbon by 2030

o   Public Sector Readiness for Net Zero Carbon by 2030: Evidence Report

• Key facts can be found on page 6.
• Key issues facing flood risk management can be found on page 7.
• Financial figures in this press release and in the report are based on 2022-23 prices unless stated otherwise.
• The Auditor General is the independent statutory external auditor of the devolved Welsh public sector. He is responsible for the annual audit of the majority of the public money spent in Wales, including the £24 billion of funds that are voted on annually by the Welsh Parliament. Elements of this funding are passed by the Welsh Government to the NHS in Wales (over £9 billion) and to local government (over £6 billion).
• The audit independence of the Auditor General is of paramount importance. He was appointed by the Queen, and his audit work is not subject to direction or control by the Welsh Parliament or government. 
• The Wales Audit Office (WAO) is a corporate body consisting of a nine member statutory Board which employs staff and provides other resources to the Auditor General, who is also the Board’s Chief Executive and Accounting Officer. The Board monitors and advises the Auditor General, regarding the exercise of his functions.
• Audit Wales is the umbrella name used to describe the Auditor General for Wales and the Wales Audit Office, which are separate legal entities with their own legal functions.