Wales strengthens climate resilience with historic flood funding

The Welsh Government has announced a record £85 million investment in flood and coastal erosion risk management for the 2026/27 financial year, marking the highest annual allocation ever delivered in Wales.

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, confirmed the funding during a visit to the Rover Way coastal defence scheme in Cardiff. Major construction works are currently in progress to strengthen sea defences along this vulnerable stretch of coastline.

The 2026/27 package will provide more than £85 million to Risk Management Authorities across Wales, including almost £43 million in capital funding for new flood and coastal protection schemes. This builds on over £377 million committed during the current Senedd term, representing the largest sustained flood investment programme in Wales to date.

The £35.2 million Rover Way scheme, delivered by Cardiff Council, includes large-scale rock revetment, earth embankments, sheet piling and erosion protection measures. Once completed, the project will reduce the risk of coastal flooding to 2,326 residential properties and 204 non-residential properties over the next 100 years. The Welsh Government has funded 85 percent of construction costs and fully covered development costs.

Rover Way forms part of the £291 million Coastal Risk Management Programme, a five-year initiative delivering 15 schemes nationwide and improving protection for nearly 14,000 properties. Additional allocations include £7.4 million for 106 small-scale local projects and £5.26 million for 35 Natural Flood Management schemes, incorporating interventions such as tree planting, leaky dams and habitat restoration. These measures are expected to reduce flood risk for more than 3,300 properties.

Revenue funding will continue to support asset maintenance, monitoring, flood warning systems and specialist workforce development, including a £0.5 million programme to strengthen flood and coastal engineering skills across Wales.