The chance of floods happening can be reduced by the way we manage land within catchments.
Cropping and livestock practices affect soil structure. Degraded soils have a reduced ability to absorb rainfall and this can result in excess run-off causing soil erosion.
In turn, soil erosion increases flood risk because sediment washed off the land blocks ditches and drains. Higher sediment pollution loads damage habitats such as fish spawning grounds.
Uckfield Case Study: Biodiversity & Land Management Issues
Poor agricultural land management practices include:
- river bank trampling by farm animals
- poor ploughing regimes in hilly catchments
- changes in crop type and poorly timed cropping practices
Better land management can alleviate these problems through adjusting agricultural practices to encourage soil retention.
Read how recent reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy have led to new initiatives to manage the land in a more environmentally sensitive manner that helps to reduce flood risk.
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