WINS Natural Flood Management: Opportunities for Enhancing Surface Roughness

This dataset was created for the Welsh Information for Nature-based Solutions (WINS) project (previously known as SCCAN) to identify opportunities for land management interventions that enhance ecosystem service delivery across a range of key policy areas. An accompanying User Guide is available to support the use of these datasets, and a full list of source datasets and data limitations can be found in the project technical report.


This dataset identifies opportunities to enhance surface roughness through measures such as reducing grazing pressure, restoring semi-natural habitats, increasing species diversity, or implementing land-use change (for example, woodland creation). Priority is given to areas that are well connected to the hydrological environment and/or currently exhibit low surface roughness. The mapped opportunity areas represent those remaining after the application of project constraints. Habitats of high conservation value and areas of high economic value have been treated as constraints, as increasing surface roughness in these locations may be undesirable or impractical.

Identification

Identifier
NRW_DS121673
Alternative Title
  • SCCAN Natural Flood Management: Opportunities for Enhancing Surface Roughness
Metadata Language
English
Lineage

The National Phase 1 Habitat Map was used to identify habitats where surface roughness could be enhanced through habitat restoration, or where changes in habitat type could increase surface roughness. The Network Index, an output from the SCIMAP (Durham University, 2016) fine sediment risk model that indicates how well an area of land is connected to rivers and drainage channels, was used to identify locations where enhanced surface roughness would be particularly beneficial. Phase 1 habitat data were also used to estimate the existing surface roughness of the landscape. Opportunities were prioritised in areas with typically low surface roughness and/or strong hydrological connectivity to the wider water environment. Constraints were derived from the Phase 1 Habitat Map and identified areas of high biodiversity value and high economic importance where increasing surface roughness may be undesirable or impractical. Existing urban areas and land within 500 m of the coastline were also excluded, as measures implemented close to the coast are unlikely to deliver significant natural flood management (NFM) benefits. This dataset was produced for NRW by Environment Systems Ltd.
Additional Information

Data gaps and limitations: National Phase 1 data is likely out of date in many places. Surface roughness could be derived from more direct measures than habitat scoring Instead of using a coastal buffer, ideally all areas would be masked out that do not have any features downslope of them.
Dataset Reference Date (Publication)
2018-04-01

Temporal Extent

Begin date
2017-09-01
End date
2018-04-01
 
Topic category
  • Planning cadastre
  • Society
  • Farming
  • Biota
  • Geoscientific information
  • Climatology, meteorology, atmosphere
  • Environment
  • Elevation
  • Imagery base maps earth cover
  • Inland waters
Owner
  Natural Resources Wales (NRW) -
Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales
http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en
Originator
  Natural Resources Wales (NRW) -
Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales
http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en
 

Extent

Extent

Geographic Extent
Wales (WLS)
N
W
E
S
Map representing the geographic extent of the dataset


 
 

Distribution

Format Type and Description
  • Geographic Information System ( )

    Specification

    ESRI Feature Class

 

Quality

Data quality

Quality Scope
Dataset
Conformity
Commission Regulation (EU) No 1089/2010 of 23 November 2010 implementing Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards interoperability of spatial data sets and services
Explanation

This dataset has not been assessed for conformance to the referenced INSPIRE regulation.
Degree
false
Lineage

The National Phase 1 Habitat Map was used to identify habitats where surface roughness could be enhanced through habitat restoration, or where changes in habitat type could increase surface roughness. The Network Index, an output from the SCIMAP (Durham University, 2016) fine sediment risk model that indicates how well an area of land is connected to rivers and drainage channels, was used to identify locations where enhanced surface roughness would be particularly beneficial. Phase 1 habitat data were also used to estimate the existing surface roughness of the landscape. Opportunities were prioritised in areas with typically low surface roughness and/or strong hydrological connectivity to the wider water environment. Constraints were derived from the Phase 1 Habitat Map and identified areas of high biodiversity value and high economic importance where increasing surface roughness may be undesirable or impractical. Existing urban areas and land within 500 m of the coastline were also excluded, as measures implemented close to the coast are unlikely to deliver significant natural flood management (NFM) benefits. This dataset was produced for NRW by Environment Systems Ltd.
 

Keywords

Keywords

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0
Type
Theme

Citation

Date (Publication)
2008-06-01
Code
geonetwork.thesaurus.external.theme.httpinspireeceuropaeutheme-theme

Keywords

NRW Thesaurus
  • SoNaRR
  • Area Statement
Type
Theme

Citation

Date (Publication)
2026-08-27
Code
geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-keywords

Keywords

NRW SMNR Keywords
  • Ecosystem Services (SMNR)
  • Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR)
Type
Theme

Citation

Date (Publication)
2024-06-26
Code
geonetwork.thesaurus.local.theme.converted_nrw-smnr-keywords
 

Spatial Reference System

Code
British National Grid (EPSG::27700)
 

Content

Content Information

NRW Profile

Custom Elements

 

Constraints

Constraints

Limitations on Public Access and Use

Restriction type
Other restrictions
 

Access Constraints Directive

Limitations
no limitations
 

Access Constraints Text

Other constraints

There are no access restrictions on this data. NRW may release, publish or disseminate it freely.
 

Use Constraints

Use constraints type
Other restrictions
Other constraints

© CNC/NRW Data may be re-used under the terms of the Open Government Licence providing it is done so, acknowledging both the source and NRW's copyright. It is the recipient's responsibility to ensure the data is fit for the intended purpose.
 

Attribution Statement

Other constraints

Contains Natural Resources Wales information © Natural Resources Wales and Database Right. All rights Reserved.
 

Licence

Other constraints
Open Government Licence
 
 
 

Metadata

Metadata

File Identifier
4f4c4942-4343-5764-6473-313231363733 XML
Metadata Language
English
Parent Identifier
WINS Area Statement Opportunity Maps

NRW_DS121668
Resource type
Dataset
Metadata Date
2026-10-13T09:07:31.065Z
Metadata Standard Name
NRW
Metadata Standard Version

1.0

pointOfContact
  Natural Resources Wales (NRW) -
Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, Wales
http://naturalresources.wales/?lang=en
 
 

Publishing Body

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