Making sense of nature-based flood mitigation: a levers framework for conceptualizing and communicating natural flood management (NFM)

Kirstie Fryirs

doi:10.1093/biosci/biag094

Making sense of nature-based flood mitigation: a levers framework for conceptualizing and communicating natural flood management (NFM)

Kirstie Fryirs^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Natural Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Natural flood management (NFM) offers a sustainable alternative to traditional flood mitigation by harnessing natural processes to slow and attenuate floods. This paper introduces a biogeomorphic levers framework to conceptualize NFM across three spatial scales; channels and reaches, valleys and corridors, and tributaries and catchments. By identifying geomorphic and vegetative elements that can be manipulated to enhance hydraulic roughness and deliver flood mitigation, the framework provides a practical tool for imple- mentation and communication. The article provides an overview of the challenges of scaling NFM for different flood magnitudes and offers a reality check for practitioners and decision-makers. This forum reframes NFM as a nature-based, multi-scalar strategy for the 21st century.

Original language	English
Article number	biag094
Pages (from-to)	842–853
Number of pages	12
Journal	BioScience
Volume	76
Issue number	9
Early online date	29 Jun 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biag094
Publication status	Published - Sept 2026

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) 2026. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Keywords

geomorphology
river rehabilitation
roughness
floodplain wetlands
nature based solutions

Access to Document

10.1093/biosci/biag094

Publisher version (open access)Final published version, 2.75 MBLicence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

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title = "Making sense of nature-based flood mitigation: a levers framework for conceptualizing and communicating natural flood management (NFM)",

abstract = "Natural flood management (NFM) offers a sustainable alternative to traditional flood mitigation by harnessing natural processes to slow and attenuate floods. This paper introduces a biogeomorphic levers framework to conceptualize NFM across three spatial scales; channels and reaches, valleys and corridors, and tributaries and catchments. By identifying geomorphic and vegetative elements that can be manipulated to enhance hydraulic roughness and deliver flood mitigation, the framework provides a practical tool for imple- mentation and communication. The article provides an overview of the challenges of scaling NFM for different flood magnitudes and offers a reality check for practitioners and decision-makers. This forum reframes NFM as a nature-based, multi-scalar strategy for the 21st century.",

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note = "Copyright the Author(s) 2026. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher. ",

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Making sense of nature-based flood mitigation: a levers framework for conceptualizing and communicating natural flood management (NFM)

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

LP23: Natural Flood Management: Nature-based flood mitigation in the 21st Century

Cite this

Making sense of nature-based flood mitigation: a levers framework for conceptualizing and communicating natural flood management (NFM)

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Projects

LP23: Natural Flood Management: Nature-based flood mitigation in the 21st Century

Cite this