Natural catchment management to reduce flooding further downstream has been much discussed as an alternative to hard flood defences. It includes a wide range of measures involving land-use practices, storing rainfall in the landscape and slowing river flow.
The evidence about its effectiveness is mixed, and the advantages are clearer for small river catchments, up to tens of square kilometres in size. It is difficult to test the effectiveness of natural flood management for larger river catchments. However, it is important to remember that it has ecological benefits and can reduce sediment erosion, which may also reduce downstream flooding.
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