Written question WQ87259

Our National Strategy for Flooding and Coastal Erosion Risk Management identified that there are 245,000 properties at risk of flooding in Wales. This number will be subject to change as the impacts of climate change take effect. Sea level rise, combined with increased storm intensity and frequency, mean that the number of properties at risk of flooding will increase without further investments in Flood Risk Management Infrastructure.

That is why we are making record levels of investment in Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management. This financial year we have provided Risk Management Authorities across Wales with over £71m of funding. This will pay for the building new flood assets, maintenance of existing assets, development of future schemes, natural flood management, property flood resilience measures, mapping, modelling and awareness raising.

Over the previous government term, our Flood Risk Management Programme reduced the risk to 31,000 properties, with a further 15,000 properties benefitting from our ongoing Coastal Risk Management Programme. Protecting communities from the impacts of flooding and sea-level rise is a priority for us, and we have committed to protecting an additional 45,000 properties this term.

‘This work is being carried out in collaboration with Sian Gwenllian MS, the Plaid Cymru lead designated member, as part of the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.’