Nature’s flood defence: NI Water highlights how healthy landscapes can slow heavy rainfall
NI Water Peatlands
Sunday 18 October 2026
As Northern Ireland enters the wetter autumn and winter months, NI Water is highlighting how restoring peatlands, planting trees and improving upland landscapes can help reduce the impact of heavy rainfall and support efforts to manage flood risk.
The work focuses on protecting the natural areas surrounding reservoirs and rivers, where healthier soils and vegetation can absorb rainfall and slow the movement of water into waterways.
Through its Sustainable Catchment Management Programme (SCaMP), NI Water is working with farmers, landowners and partner organisations to improve these landscapes, with benefits for drinking water quality, wildlife and the wider environment.
How nature helps slow flooding
Healthy peatlands and soils can act like a natural sponge, absorbing rainwater and releasing it gradually rather than allowing it to flow rapidly into streams and rivers.
This can help reduce surface water run-off following heavy rainfall, potentially easing pressure on waterways and contributing to wider flood management efforts.
Measures being used through SCaMP include peatland restoration, tree planting, fencing, blocking drainage channels and improving how land is managed.
An NI Water spokesperson said:
“As we move into the wetter autumn and winter months, it is important to recognise that flood resilience is not just about hard infrastructure. The natural environment has a vital role to play too.
“Through SCaMP, NI Water is working with farmers, landowners and partner organisations to restore and protect the catchments that supply our drinking water. By improving the condition of these landscapes, we can help slow the flow of water after heavy rainfall, support biodiversity, store carbon and improve the quality of water entering our reservoirs and rivers.”
Benefits beyond flood management
The programme also aims to protect the quality of water entering reservoirs and rivers before it undergoes treatment for drinking water supplies.
Restoring damaged peatlands can help retain carbon in the landscape, while healthier habitats support wildlife and improve the ability of upland environments to cope with changing weather conditions.
These improvements are particularly relevant as heavier rainfall and other effects of climate change place increasing pressure on natural environments and water management systems.
Part of a wider approach to flood resilience
NI Water has emphasised that restoring natural landscapes cannot prevent flooding on its own, but can complement other measures designed to manage rainfall and protect communities.
An NI Water spokesperson added:
“We are already seeing growing recognition of the role that nature-based solutions can play in addressing environmental challenges. While they are not a standalone answer to flooding, healthy catchments are an important part of the wider picture and can help build long-term resilience.”
The approach highlights how protecting the land surrounding Northern Ireland’s drinking water sources can deliver benefits beyond water quality, helping landscapes retain rainfall for longer while supporting wildlife and environmental resilience.
Although natural restoration cannot eliminate the risk of flooding during severe weather, NI Water says healthier catchments can make an important contribution to managing water over the longer term.
