Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (PFRA)

The PFRA was completed as part of the first cycle of implementation of the Floods Directive in 2011 through three key approaches:

A Historic Analysis: The use of information on floods that have happened in the past.

A Predictive Analysis: An assessment of areas that could be prone to flooding and of the potential impacts and damage that could be caused by such flooding.

Consultation: The use of local and expert knowledge of the Local Authorities and other Government departments and agencies.

The PFRA covered a range of sources of flood risk, including fluvial (from rivers), tidal (from estuaries and the sea), groundwater (such as from turloughs) and pluvial (from intense rainfall events, particularly over urban areas). The PFRA also addressed flood risk that could arise from artificial water-bearing infrastructure, such as reservoirs and raised canals.

The PFRA considered a range of possible impacts of flooding, such as on people, property, infrastructure, cultural heritage and the environment. For the predictive assessment, the range of impacts were incorporated into a ‘Flood Risk Index’.

The reports on the PFRA are available from the OPW flood portal:

• Main Report
• Technical Reports

The review of the PFRA for the 2nd cycle implementation of the EU ‘Floods’ Directive was completed in 2019. This took into account the findings and outcomes of the National CFRAM Programme, as well as the assessment of floods that have occurred since the PFRA was undertaken, and further consultation with the local authorities and other key stakeholders, and is described in the ‌Report on the Review of the PFRA.

The 3rd cycle of implementation of the EU ‘Floods’ Directive has commenced, and a further review of the PFRA has been undertaken. This review has involved an updated predictive assessment, making use of the national indicative flood maps that are now available, as well as a review of past floods and consultation with local authorities and other relevant stakeholders. Before finalising the Review of the PFRA, the OPW is consulting with the public on the PFRA and the proposed outcomes.

Please click here for information on the public consultation.

The Draft Report for Consultation on the Review of the PFRA is available here.