Open AccessThe impact of seasonal flooding on agriculture: the spring 2012 floods in S omerset, E ngland
Author(s) -
Morris J.,
Brewin P.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of flood risk management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.049
H-Index - 36
ISSN - 1753-318X
DOI - 10.1111/jfr3.12041
Subject(s) - flooding (psychology) , flood myth , agriculture , spring (device) , grazing , environmental science , stewardship (theology) , geography , climate change , environmental resource management , ecology , biology , mechanical engineering , psychology , archaeology , politics , political science , law , engineering , psychotherapist
Exceptional rainfall in spring 2012 caused widespread flooding and damage to agricultural grasslands in S omerset in south western E ngland, much of them farmed under agri‐environment agreements. The seasonal timing of the flood and its relatively long duration (in excess of 4 weeks in some areas) led to a serious loss of grazing and winter feed in 2012. A survey of farmers, combined with the development of a framework to estimate the impact of seasonal flooding, identified the effects on farm businesses and the ways that farmers coped. Impacts on agri‐environment outcomes were valued at the cost of funding stewardship schemes. The methods and estimates can help inform strategies to deal with changes in flood risk in areas of agricultural and environmental interest, whether induced by changes in catchment land use or climate.