The  Welsh Assembly has launched a new Consultation on the development of a national strategy for Wales for flood and coastal erosion risk management.  

The Assembly is planning to launch the National Strategy in spring 2011. The strategy is intended to underpin a new approach to addressing flood and coastal erosion risks in Wales. It will establish a new set of objectives for Wales, encouraging greater collaboration amongst the public sector, more robust community engagement and management of the whole risk rather than a part of it. It will also establish a delivery framework that meets the needs of Wales both now and in the future.

The Assembly believes it is essential that its risk management approach to flood and coastal erosion helps communities and individuals understand the risk they face, understand what public services are available to support them, understand the consequences for them of those risks, and understand what they can do themselves to help manage those consequences.

It also believes that effective and successful implementation of the National Strategy will rely on a much wider range of partners than in the past and much closer collaboration between the Welsh Assembly Government, public, private and the voluntary sector and the communities themselves will be required.

The consultation document includes questions about the objectives which should set, the actions to be taken and the way in which  flood and coastal erosion risk management should be prioritised and funded. It also includes information on the roles and responsibilities of the Risk Management Authorities.