Introduction

INTRODUCTION

This systemic literature review examines whether there is a potential role for landscape

architects in natural flood management (NFM). There are two reasons for asking the

question:

• the growing profile of and interest in NFM, and the work opportunity presented

• to use a framework (NFM) to examine the skills of the landscape architecture

profession.

There are already published literature reviews on NFM and assessments of the evidence.

For instance, the Environment Agency has produced a literature review of over 300 pages

(Ngai et al., 2017). However, this dissertation looks at NFM from a particular perspective,

that of landscape architects, with the aim of determining whether landscape architects have

the skills and knowledge to lead or make a valuable contribution to NFM projects.

Three steps have been taken to answer the question:

1. a review of the science supporting NFM, focussing on the use of woodlands

2. an exploration of social, cultural and economic barriers to NFM

3. a review of the skills of landscape architects.

Following these steps, it has been possible to describe the skills needed to make a

meaningful contribution to NFM projects and take a view on whether landscape architects

have those skills.

Why use NFM as a framework for examining the skills of landscape architects? The

Landscape Institute (LI), the professional body for landscape architects in the UK, as part of

its strategy for 2018-2023 wants to be a body that:

‘Develops the skills, knowledge and behaviours of its members to help them create a

sustainable future which is responsive to such challenges as demographic shifts and

climate change.’ (Allman Horrocks Consulting, 2018)

Focussing on the second challenge, climate change, we are to expect more frequent and

severe flooding in the UK as the climate changes and NFM is proposed as a sustainable

method to respond to this challenge (Pitt, 2008). Rather than being a niche topic for

academic papers or engineering journals, NFM is increasingly discussed in the news. When the government announced it latest flood strategy in July 2020 (Defra, 2020a), it was

‘natural solutions’ that grabbed the media’s attention (BBC, 2020). Awareness of the

limitations of traditional engineered flood management is increasing. Due to its high cost,

engineered flood management is not an option for some communities at risk of flooding -

cost-benefit analyses rule it out (Norbury, Shaw, & Jones, 2018). In response, communities

are turning to NFM as an alternative, affordable solution. Perhaps now is the moment for

more landscape architects to shift their focus beyond the urban environment, and embrace

the strategic challenge of NFM.