Flood Risk Management

US FEMA Correction Clarifies Applicability of Adjusted Public Assistance Thresholds for Floodplain and Wetlands Review

FEMA has corrected a November 2025 Federal Register notice to confirm that inflation-adjusted Public Assistance thresholds for floodplain and wetlands review apply to all major disasters declared by the President on or after 1 October 2025, regardless of when the incident began. This clarification broadens the number of FEMA-funded recovery projects that can use higher thresholds before triggering the full 8-step environmental review, slightly reducing procedural burden for infrastructure rebuilds in US disaster areas.

10 May 2026, 18:54public-inspection.federalregister.govUnited States

New Jersey Bill A4971 Limits DEP and State Agencies’ Climate Rules to Global Warming Response Act Scope

New Jersey lawmakers have introduced Bill A4971, which would restrict the Department of Environmental Protection and other State agencies from adopting climate-related rules that go beyond the authority granted by the Global Warming Response Act, particularly for flood-hazard and coastal permitting. If enacted, this could significantly narrow New Jersey’s ability to tighten climate and resilience regulations via agency rulemaking, shifting more control over future standards and permitting requirements to the Legislature and potentially slowing or constraining new obligations for energy, construction, transport, and manufacturing projects.

10 May 2026, 18:50pub.njleg.govUnited States

Virginia Enacts Wetlands and Flood Resilience Laws (HB 237, HB 521, HB 390, HB 1266, HB 70)

Virginia has enacted a package of 2026 laws strengthening wetlands protection, coastal flood resilience and environmental justice outreach, including requirements to map marsh migration corridors, offset tidal wetlands loss and prioritise nature-based resilience funding for low-income communities. These measures will push developers, localities and state agencies in coastal Virginia to factor sea-level rise, cumulative environmental impacts and nature-based mitigation into permitting and investment decisions, as funding and oversight increasingly favour projects that protect wetlands and vulnerable communities.

9 May 2026, 13:26lis.virginia.govUnited States

Environment Agency Opens Consultation On Sizewell C Flood Risk Permit Variation

In May 2026 the Environment Agency opened a public consultation on Sizewell C Limited’s application to vary its flood risk activity permit for permanent ground raising within the Leiston Drain floodplain at the Sizewell C main development site in Suffolk. This step will shape the design and conditions for critical earthworks at the nuclear construction site, so stakeholders concerned with flood risk, infrastructure resilience, and surrounding land use have a short window to influence the permit terms before they are finalised.

9 May 2026, 13:19gov.ukUnited Kingdom

US FEMA Proposes Flood Hazard Determinations for Unincorporated Maricopa County, Arizona

FEMA has opened a 90-day comment period on proposed revisions to flood hazard determinations for unincorporated areas of Maricopa County, Arizona, based on updated preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps and a supporting Flood Insurance Study. If finalized, these changes could shift which properties fall within high-risk flood zones and alter local floodplain management requirements, so operators in the affected areas should review the draft maps and plan for potential adjustments to siting, construction, and insurance decisions.

9 May 2026, 07:15federalregister.govUnited States

UK Parliament Introduces Nature-Based Solutions (Water and Flooding) Bill

A Private Members’ Bill introduced in the UK Parliament in May 2026 would require water companies and relevant public bodies to use nature-based solutions to improve water and flood risk management services. If progressed, this could shift investment and compliance expectations toward natural infrastructure and catchment-based measures, affecting how utilities and major water users plan long-term resilience and permitting strategies.

8 May 2026, 06:48bills.parliament.ukUnited Kingdom

France Senate Committee Adopts Flood-Prevention Bill Supporting Local Authorities — Report No. 579

In April 2026 the French Senate’s spatial-planning committee approved, without further amendments, a bill to streamline flood-prevention and post-flood procedures for local authorities, confirming a text already enriched by the National Assembly. If enacted, the law would significantly strengthen Gemapi authorities’ ability to access and use private land for flood-defence works and to revise risk-prevention plans more quickly, accelerating both infrastructure projects and the imposition of site-specific land-use constraints in flood-prone areas.

4 May 2026, 20:01senat.frFrance

Rhode Island Senate Bill S3039 Proposes Property-Owner Coastal Hazard Protections Without Prior Approval

Rhode Island has introduced Senate Bill S3039 to let coastal property owners take reasonable protective actions against coastal hazards without obtaining prior approval, though the bill is currently held for further study in committee. If enacted, this could loosen permitting constraints for shoreline protection and other hazard-mitigation works, changing how coastal infrastructure and property operators plan and manage coastal risk in the state.

4 May 2026, 18:28webserver.rilegislature.govUnited States

Spain Adopts Basic Civil Protection Planning Directive for Flood Risk

Spain has adopted a new Basic Civil Protection Planning Directive for flood risk, in force from 28 April 2026, updating national, regional and local rules and repealing the 1995 framework. Over the next four years public authorities and operators of dams and other at-risk infrastructures will need to align flood-risk plans, mapping, early-warning and autoprotection arrangements, which may trigger updates to site emergency planning, resilience investments and coordination with Spanish civil-protection authorities.

30 Apr 2026, 08:58boe.esSpain

Delaware DNREC Announces May 2026 Public Sessions on Beach Protection Regulation Review

DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship has launched a regulatory review of Delaware’s beach protection regulation (7 DE Admin. Code 5102) and scheduled May 2026 public information sessions, including a virtual meeting on 7 May, to present proposed coastal resilience updates. Potential amendments could shift the coastal construction building line and permitting expectations along Delaware’s ocean and bay beaches, so coastal developers and property owners should track this process as it moves toward a formal proposal and hearing later in 2026.

30 Apr 2026, 06:44dnrec.delaware.govUnited States

Rhode Island Bill H8216 Would Require Coastal Resources Management Council To Review Water Classifications For Sea Level Rise

Rhode Island lawmakers are considering Bill H8216, which would require the Coastal Resources Management Council to review coastal water classifications and related policies so they properly account for sea level rise, with committee consideration scheduled for 30 April 2026. If enacted, this review could drive future changes to coastal permitting and land-use decisions, influencing how waterfront infrastructure and operations plan for long-term climate and sea level risk.

30 Apr 2026, 06:18webserver.rilegislature.govUnited States

North Rhine-Westphalia Plans Amendment to Climate Adaptation Act and Publishes Klimaanalyse NRW 2026

North Rhine-Westphalia has published a draft amendment to its Climate Adaptation Act, anchored in new high‑resolution climate risk data and a state heat-data portal, to make municipal adaptation planning and climate-resilient public infrastructure more systematic from 2026 onward. This signals tighter expectations on cities and regions to map heat and flood risks, develop funded climate adaptation concepts, and integrate heat warnings into urban planning and public health strategies across the state.

29 Apr 2026, 08:09umwelt.nrw.deGermany

Netherlands: Waterschap Zuiderzeeland Consults on Draft Policy for Compensating Increased Hard Surfaces and Accelerated Runoff

Waterschap Zuiderzeeland has opened consultation on a draft policy rule that updates how much water storage is required to compensate for new hard surfaces and accelerated runoff, with application planned from 1 January 2027. Project developers, municipalities, and other initiators in the Zuiderzeeland area will need to reassess planned increases in roofs, roads, and paved areas against stricter compensation rules and may wish to influence the final design by submitting input before 17 June 2026.

27 Apr 2026, 18:46officielebekendmakingen.nlNetherlands

Louisiana SB 331 Would Temporarily Ease Scenic Rivers Permit Rules for West Pearl River Drainage Works

Louisiana’s SB 331, which has passed the Senate and is now before the House, would temporarily waive Louisiana Scenic Rivers Act permits for specified drainage works on the West Pearl River and its tributaries between August 2026 and August 2031. If enacted, this would ease state scenic-river permitting for local drainage projects while keeping a ban on new commercial or clustered residential development along this stretch, signalling a more flexible but still protective approach to river management.

24 Apr 2026, 10:35legis.la.govUnited States

Connecticut Senate Bill Proposes 5% Insurance Surcharge for Fossil Fuel Infrastructure

In April 2026, Connecticut legislators advanced SB 453, a bill that would add a 5% surcharge from 1 January 2027 on property and casualty insurance policies covering specified fossil fuel infrastructure, with proceeds directed to a new state climate resilience fund. If enacted, this would raise insurance costs for new or expanded oil, gas, and coal facilities in Connecticut and signal that fossil fuel-related activities are expected to help finance flood-risk data, public awareness, and climate-resilient infrastructure in high-risk communities.

24 Apr 2026, 08:39cga.ct.govUnited States

Environment Agency Issues Extreme-Weather Management Guidance for Reservoirs in England

The Environment Agency has issued detailed guidance for reservoir owners and operators in England on how to manage embankments, spillways, outlets and structures so reservoirs remain safe and resilient under more frequent floods, droughts, storms, ice and snow. This raises expectations that operators will strengthen inspection and maintenance regimes, address known weaknesses, and plan climate-resilience investments with qualified engineers to reduce the risk of dam failure and regulatory scrutiny as extreme weather intensifies.

23 Apr 2026, 15:20gov.ukUnited Kingdom

US Senate Proposes Healthy Watersheds, Healthy Communities Act of 2026 (S. 4234)

US lawmakers have introduced the Healthy Watersheds, Healthy Communities Act of 2026 (S. 4234) to refocus federal watershed and flood‑prevention funding on multi‑benefit projects, speed USDA approvals, expand loan capacity, and require public reporting on how funds are used. If enacted, the bill would steer future federally assisted watershed and irrigation projects toward more resilient, multi‑benefit designs and recyclable long‑life pipe materials, shaping procurement choices for infrastructure suppliers and sponsors seeking water, drought, and flood‑resilience funding.

21 Apr 2026, 13:25govinfo.govUnited States

Benelux Union: Dutch 2026 Presidency Sets Workprogramme on Internal Market, Energy and Circular Economy

The Dutch government has set out its 2026 Benelux presidency workprogramme, prioritising deeper internal-market integration, energy security, circular economy, food security, and cross-border workplace safety across Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. While it creates no immediate new obligations, this agenda signals upcoming Benelux initiatives on joint implementation of EU rules, circular supply chains, and regional resilience that could shape future compliance expectations for operators in the region.

19 Apr 2026, 17:25open.overheid.nlNetherlandsBelgiumLuxembourg

Germany: Baden-Württemberg Announces EUR 265 Million 2026 Funding for Municipal Water Management

Baden-Württemberg’s environment ministry has announced a EUR 265 million 2026 funding programme for municipal water supply, wastewater treatment, flood protection and river ecology projects across 39 districts. This reinforces state co-funding for advanced treatment (including optional fourth-stage upgrades to remove trace substances) and climate-resilience measures, so municipal operators in Baden-Württemberg should align planned investments with the Water Management Funding Guidelines to access support.

16 Apr 2026, 14:25baden-wuerttemberg.deGermany

Netherlands PBL Report on Choices for a Climate‑Resilient Living Environment

In March 2026 the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) published a major climate risk analysis outlining how heat, drought and flooding will increasingly disrupt health, infrastructure, agriculture and water management unless adaptation policy is significantly strengthened. The report sets the agenda for 2026 revisions of the National Climate Adaptation Strategy and Delta Decisions, signalling future tightening of standards for spatial planning, critical infrastructure and crisis preparedness even though it does not itself create binding obligations.

15 Apr 2026, 14:01pbl.nlNetherlands