Adapting flood risk management for an uncertain future: flood management planning on the Thames estuary

A flood risk management plan is being developed for the Thames Estuary, covering the next 100 years. In 2007 flood risk management options (the ‘High Level Options’) were developed for a range of different climate change scenarios. The objective was to provide initial flood risk management options for the estuary, and identify how the uncertainties of future climate change could be managed. Since then the options have been further developed to take into account other drivers including the deterioration of the existing flood risk management assets. Whilst the Plan will lead to preferred options for managing flood risk, it is recognised that the assumptions used to develop these options could change. The paper demonstrates how the options would be adapted to change. Whilst the main options have been developed to manage flood risk for the whole estuary, there are choices to be made at the local or Policy Management Unit (PMU) level. Hence the approach applies to both the estuary-wide and PMU levels