OnDemand: The Flood Resilience Conference 2026
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You can watch all the insights, key sessions, and expert discussions from The Flood Resilience Conference 2026 by purchasing our OnDemand Event. Access recordings of every session, including presentations from leading industry speakers*, and watch at your own pace.
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Access this conference OnDemand today for £99 here.
*Presentation decks for speakers who have given permission for their materials to be shared
2026 Supporters Included
2026 Overview
Flooding continues to present a complex challenge across the UK, with climate change, urban development and ageing infrastructure all contributing to increased risk. Communities and public services are facing pressure to adapt and build long-term resilience, while navigating funding challenges. With significant national investment and reforms underway, this is an important moment for flood risk management and resilience planning.
- The government is allocating £830m in funding for flood schemes in 2026/27 to improve protection for tens of thousands of homes and businesses, as part of a record investment of at least £10.5 billion between 2024 and 2036 (DEFRA and Environment Agency, 2026)
- 3 million properties in England are at risk of flooding (Environment Agency, 2025)
- Around 38% of roads and 37% of railways in England are in flood-risk areas (Environment Agency, 2025)
The Flood Resilience Conference 2026 united policy leaders, national agencies and emergency responders on how the UK is strengthening its approach to flood management. You will hear the latest policy developments, explore how funding reforms are impacting delivery and gain insight into flood responses on the frontline. Sessions also examined the importance of community engagement, and sustainable drainage and coastal management.
2026 Agenda
Chair’s Opening Remarks
Dr Sarah Percival, Senior Lecturer in Geography, Climate Change and Environmental Sciences (Resilience), Liverpool John Moore’s University
Keynote: Parliamentary Perspectives on Flooding and Supporting Affected Communities
- Providing an update on the latest parliamentary activity on flooding, and its role in flooding policy and representing impacted residents
- Reflecting on current government plans for flood and coastal resilience, including recent investment in coastal protection and ongoing funding reforms aimed at supporting vulnerable communities
- Highlighting key national issues including long-term flood insurance arrangements and community recovery following major flooding events
- Considering the role of Parliament in amplifying the voices of flooded communities and shaping future flood resilience strategies
Tessa Munt MP, Chair, APPG for Flooding and Flooded Communities
Keynote: Flood Resilience Through Investment and Funding Reform
- Exploring the effect of the Government’s investment for 2024-2026 on long-term flood and coastal erosion programmes
- Examining the introduction of a reformed funding model and the national impact on flood resilience
- Considering how changes to funding allocation aim to improve access for local authorities and address regional disparities in flood resilience
- Discussing how funding reforms will affect delivery of frontline flood resilience services
Steven Tupper, Deputy Director for Flood and Coastal Risk Management Pipeline and Investment, Environment Agency
Questions & Answers
Comfort Break
Keynote: Resilience to Floods: An Overview From Defra
Juan Scouller, Head of Flood Risk, Resilience and Insurance Policy, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Keynote: The Future of Flood Insurance and Building Long-Term Resilience
- Exploring the role of Flood Re in maintaining the availability and affordability of flood insurance
- Outlining the transition towards a market-based system and what this means for homeowners and communities
- Discussing how property-level resilience measures and the partnership between insurers and government can reduce risk and support long-term adaptation
- Reflecting on current insurance challenges such as, rising premiums linked to climate risk and the need to better support communities most exposed to flooding
Jonathan Kassian, Head of Research, Flood Re
Questions & Answers
Lunch Break
Keynote: Reaching Disadvantaged Communities at Risk from Flooding
- Examining how people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage can face greater challenges preparing for and recovering from flooding events
- Exploring why flood preparedness messaging and recovery support may fail to reach some communities and the importance of working through local organisations and networks to improve communication
- Outlining how emergency response partners can deliver more visible support during flood recovery, particularly for people who may struggle to navigate modern systems
- Discussing the possibility of greater involvement of the voluntary sector within flood resilience to deliver more accessible and locally trusted support
Leo Bryant, Policy and Advocacy Manager- Disaster Resilience and Health, British Red Cross
Case Study: Drainage Systems to Manage Surface Water Flood Risk
- Demonstrating how a local authority deliver SuDS and how they are integrated with wider flood risk strategies
- Exploring the benefits of SuDS in managing surface water and alleviating pressure on drainage to improving water quality and urban resilience
- Exploring the challenges of implementing SuDS at a local level
- Reflections on designing and delivering retrofit SuDS schemes
Michael Shorey, Principal Blue-Green Infrastructure Engineer, Enfield Council
Questions & Answers
Comfort Break
Navigating the Future of Housing: Why Better Data Means More Resilient New Builds
- What NaFRA2 actually changed: Better data shows greater number properties at risk but the risk was always there
- Discussion on research showing 1 in 9 new builds are in flood zones
- NPPF and national SuDS guidance now demand assessment across all sources
- What this means in practice: site layout, building design, safe access and egress, SuDS, and the Sequential Test
Daniel Cook, Chartered Water and Environment Manager and specialist Flood Risk, AEGAEA
Case Study: Advancing Coastal Flood Risk Management and Shoreline Defences
- Highlighting how a coastal authority is delivering shoreline management, through hard engineering and nature-based solutions
- Demonstrating how different coastal defence approaches function to manage flood and erosion risk
- Interrogating the complexities of coastal resilience, including long-term funding pressures and the need to realign defences inland
- Considering how community impacts and uncertainty around sea level rise shape long-term shoreline planning
Mark Stratton, Head of Coastal Policy, Environment & Research, Coastal Partners
Questions & Answers
Chair’s Closing Remarks
Dr Sarah Percival, Senior Lecturer in Geography, Climate Change and Environmental Sciences (Resilience), Liverpool John Moore’s University
Conference Close
Pricing Options
OnDemand
Full access to the OnDemand conference – get instant access after purchase to expert insights and curated content, including recordings of the sessions and downloadable presentation decks for speakers who have given permission for their materials to be shared.
2026 Speakers
Tessa Munt MP
Chair
APPG for Flooding and Flooded Communities
Jonathan Kassian
Head of Research
Flood Re
Dr Sarah Percival
Senior Lecturer
Liverpool John Moores University
Mark Stratton
Coastal Service Manager
Coastal Partners
Juan Scouller
Head of Flood Risk, Resilience and Insurance Policy
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Steven Tupper
Deputy Director for Flood and Coastal Risk Management Pipeline and Investment
Environment Agency
Testimonials
Excellent conference – definitely worth attending!
A full day of informative sessions, spaced out so as to not be too overwhelming
Very professional, responsive and educational
