Climate Adaptation Strategy for Wales published

The Welsh Government published its Climate Adaptation Strategy for Wales in October 2024, setting out the government's commitment to responding to the changing climate¹. The strategy is cited in a November 2025 report by the Wales Flood and Coastal Erosion Committee, which records that it includes commitments on equitable insurance coverage for households and businesses¹.

Respondents included the Association of British Insurers, the British Red Cross, the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management's Rivers and Coastal Group, Flood Re, the National Flood Forum, One Voice Wales, South West Wales Flood Risk Management Group and Wales Coastal Groups Forum¹.

The report records figures on flood insurance and property flood resilience in Wales. As of February 2025, 20,000 properties in Wales had been ceded to the Flood Re scheme in recent months, and 900 claims had been made in Wales to date¹. Only 19 properties in Wales had taken up Build Back Better as of January 2025, out of close to 200 eligible claims¹. Across the UK, about 30 per cent of properties offered Build Back Better are taking up the measures¹.

On insurance costs, the report states that quoted prices in high-flood-risk areas are 50 to 55 per cent higher than in lower-risk areas, and that a home in a high-flood-risk area with a flood claim typically sees a jump of about another 50 per cent, meaning these homes typically see prices that are 100 to 120 per cent higher than low-risk, no-claim properties¹. The average cost to repair a flooded home is now in excess of £70,000¹.

A UK poll of 3,300 people across the four nations found that of households flooded in the last five years, 56 per cent had contents insurance and 51 per cent had buildings insurance, compared with 75 per cent and 67 per cent respectively among households that had never been flooded¹. Nearly half, 48 per cent, of those who had experienced flooding in their home within the last five years said they had not seen any information about flooding in their area¹.

Why it matters for households

The strategy is a Welsh Government commitment on adapting to climate change, and the committee's report links it to work on flood insurance arrangements in Wales¹. For households in flood-risk areas, the report sets out dated figures on premiums and on take-up of resilience measures. Quoted prices in high-flood-risk areas are 50 to 55 per cent higher than in lower-risk areas, and homes in those areas with a flood claim typically see prices 100 to 120 per cent higher than low-risk, no-claim properties¹. The average cost to repair a flooded home is now in excess of £70,000¹.

The report also records that households that have been flooded are less likely to hold insurance than those that have not: 56 per cent of households flooded in the last five years had contents insurance and 51 per cent had buildings insurance, against 75 per cent and 67 per cent among households never flooded¹. The British Red Cross, responding to the consultation, said these findings evidence the consequences of premiums rising after a flood event, potentially leading to a situation where those who have experienced flooding are less likely to be able to afford cover than those in homes that have never flooded¹.

What happens next

The committee's report sets out proposals rather than final decisions, stating that the original consultation questions are now framed as proposals¹. Further detail on the strategy itself has not been reported in these documents.