ArcGIS helps to reduce flood risks in Northern Ireland - The Rivers Agency

2009-03-09

The Rivers Agency of Northern Ireland has launched a new online service to provide local authorities, residents and private organisations with better information about flood risks.  Called the Strategic Flood Map (NI) – Rivers & Sea, this vital new resource is powered by ArcGIS.   

Flooding from rivers and the sea is a natural phenomenon that cannot be entirely prevented.  However, when it occurs unexpectedly, flooding can put lives at risk, cause considerable damage to properties and lead to extensive disruption for entire communities.  The Rivers Agency, an executive Agency within the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland, wanted to make information about the risks of flooding more accessible to a wider number of people and organisations.

The new Strategic Flood Map has been launched on the River Agency’s web site.  It shows areas that could be affected by flooding from rivers or the sea.  It also provides information on the location of flood defence schemes and other measures that the Rivers Agency has put in place to reduce flood risk.  People living and working in areas prone to flooding can access the web site to find out more about the risks and take appropriate action to mitigate them.  The Strategic Flood Map service is likely to be of interest to a range of stakeholders

• Government, industry and commerce with regard to assessing flood risk to infrastructure, business and services, and in terms of emergency planning and response. 
• Local authorities and developers with regard to spatial planning.
• The public with regard to raising awareness of flood risk, so that communities and individuals are better prepared.

The Strategic Flood Map currently contains four distinct map layers.  The first is an historical map that illustrates the outlines of areas that have been inundated by flood water from rivers and the sea in the past.  Over time, this layer will be updated, so that it provides a strong visual reminder that the risk of flooding is very real.  To identify potential flood risk areas in a consistent and comprehensive manner across NI, the Agency has used predictive modelling and mapping techniques to estimate the extent of NI’s river and coastal flood plains.  These are illustrated within the “Present Day” and “Climate Change” flood map layers, which illustrate the extent of the floodplain under present day and projected future climatic conditions respectively.  .  Finally, the flood defense map layer indicates the locations of key flood defenses and the areas that benefit from a reduction in the likelihood of flooding, as a consequence of their presence.

Subject to the acceptance of the terms and conditions of use, the Strategic Flood Map can be accessed via the Rivers Agency’s website www.riversagencyni.gov.uk.