Project manager Jane Birch is exploring nature-based solutions to restore habitats, including planting hedgerows and building wooden barriers that help trap debris and slow water flow.
She said it is important for landowners to adapt their approach to managing the land.
“After the Second World War, there was a strong focus on food production and making land as productive as possible,” Birch said.
“That often meant draining land to create dry farmland. But we now need to consider how we can retain more water in the landscape and reduce the risk of flooding downstream.”
Flooding has become more frequent across the United Kingdom as climate change increases the risk of extreme weather events.
BBC Midlands Today environmental correspondent David Gregory Kumar said natural flood-management methods could make a significant difference.
“They can solve many problems, even through simple measures such as placing a few logs in a stream,” Gregory Kumar said.
“Several areas across the West Midlands are testing these techniques in rivers and tributaries, although they are not being used in larger rivers such as the River Severn.”
“There is now a growing understanding that slowing the flow of water and allowing it to spread onto the land is not necessarily a problem.”
Source: www.bbc.co.uk