Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:53 pm on 12 March 2019.
Thank you, Caroline Jones, for those questions. You articulated how climate change is affecting our wildlife and our biodiversity, and you referred to topsoil. I go back to what I was saying about natural flood risk management: I think it's really important that we look at all management techniques as a measure for preventing such things occurring. I've mentioned our national strategy, which is currently being drafted, and that will look at how we need to look at innovative and natural flood risk management solutions, alongside the more traditional defence schemes, which, as you will have heard me saying to Joyce Watson in answer to her questions, we will always need. But it is really important that we look at new innovation.
I think in Wales we're really ideally placed to integrate such approaches—we've got established engineering schemes—and I think that's because we work very closely with risk management authorities and NRW. I do think there are so many opportunities for a more sustainable and natural form of coastal management and it's really important that we bring those forward. I mentioned I will be working closely with my colleague Julie James, who has responsibility for planning, looking at planning policy. Obviously, 'Planning Policy Wales' 10 was brought in in December, and the Minister will also be bringing forward the national development plan. I think it's really important that we look at those two in relation to flooding.