The Royal Establishment of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has launched a landmark apply info paper, Flooding and its Implications for Property Professionals, providing a radical overview of the growing challenges and obligations associated to flood danger throughout the UK.
Authored by Charles Cowap of Harper Adams College, with contributions from Michael Chichester, James Ginley, Ben Sharp, and a cross-disciplinary knowledgeable working group, the publication explores the very important position surveyors play in serving to shoppers, communities, and policymakers navigate the rising affect of flooding.
Because the UK Local weather Change Danger Evaluation identifies flooding as “some of the extreme local weather hazards,” RICS underscores the significance of integrating flood danger consciousness and resilience into each side {of professional} apply. This contains areas reminiscent of valuation, planning, land administration, building, and property administration.
The steering highlights a proactive method, calling on surveyors throughout all specialisms to embed flood resilience into decision-making processes and help efforts to mitigate long-term environmental and financial dangers.
The 2025 RICS apply paper brings collectively information on:
+ Varieties and sources of flooding – together with fluvial, coastal, floor, groundwater and infrastructure-related flooding.
+ Financial, environmental and social impacts – with flood harm and administration prices estimated at £2.2 billion yearly.
+ Local weather tendencies – UK properties at excessive flood danger may double by 2050 with out adaptation.
+ Planning, design and building requirements – together with BS 85500:2025, and the broader adoption of Sustainable Drainage Programs (SuDS).
+ Property Flood Resilience (PFR) – sensible measures for each resistance and recoverability in residential, industrial and rural contexts.
+ Skilled implications – masking valuation, insurance coverage, mortgage lending, property administration and occupier steering.
The paper highlights how flooding intersects with key areas {of professional} duty. Surveyors could also be concerned in:
+ Offering flood danger assessments and resilience recommendation for shoppers and lenders.
+ Advising on drainage and flood adaptation in design and building tasks.
+ Assessing flood danger implications in valuation and due diligence.
+ Supporting shoppers in flood restoration, insurance coverage and reinstatement.
+ Selling collaboration throughout the surveying, engineering, planning and insurance coverage professions.
Fiona Mannix, RICS Senior Specialist (Land & Improvement), stated: “Flooding impacts each a part of the property lifecycle, and surveyors are uniquely positioned to interpret its implications for worth, security, design and long-term resilience. This paper equips members with a broad understanding of the problems and encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration to fulfill this rising skilled problem.”
