Flooding is the number one natural hazard in the UK (CCC, 2021). The risks and associated costs of flooding are growing due to climate change, but the planning system in England has not yet adapted accordingly. The Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) legislation came into effect in England from February 2024 and represents a significant shift in planning regulations. A report from the London School of Economics and the Grantham Institute, published in November 2024, Harnessing England’s Biodiversity Net Gain legislation to amplify urban flood risk management looked at the potential of BNG for flood risk management.

In this webinar the report's co-author Jonathan Kassian and climate change expert Professor Swenja Surminski, will present the case for integrating BNG and natural flood management made in the report. This includes BNG's potential to enhance urban resilience and the integration of BNG funding with local authorities’ natural flood management projects. This webinar is a joint webinar with Environmental Policy Implementation Community (EPIC) and the Foundation for Water Research (FWR) and is part of the BNG in Practice Event Series.

Our speakers

Jonathan Kassian is Head of Research at Flood Re and leads Flood Re’s work to measure and incentivize resilience. Working with industry and government, his focus is on developing an actionable evidence base for resilience and policies that reduce flood risk, and on nature-based solutions. Before Flood Re, he spent five years working on energy security issues and international partnerships with the UK Government, and a decade in public policy work in Canada.

Prof Swenja Surminski oversaw LSE’s work on urban flooding and biodiversity net gain as part of the EU’s Naturance project - Home - NATURANCE. She is also Managing Director Climate and Sustainability at Marsh McLennan and an appointed member of the UK Climate Change Committee.