ICE Wales Cymru publishes manifesto amid ‘unprecedented and deeply concerning’ flood risks

ICE Wales Cymru has urged immediate action to manage flood risk as communities face “a very uncertain future”, as committee chair, Tara Sirati, has said.

As Welsh parliamentarians return after the summer, ICE Wales Cymru stands ready to support and provide impartial expertise. 

With that in mind, the institution has launched its recommendations for infrastructure in Wales in 2026-2031, outlining its key priorities for the next five years. 

This September, it already submitted responses to the Economy, Energy and Connectivity and the Climate Change, Environment, Sustainability and Rural Affairs Committees.

Flood risk management was a top concern in the new report.

“Climate change is taking place in the here and now. The floods we witnessed in November 2025 across Wales and particularly in South Wales were unprecedented and deeply concerning,” Sirati said.

“The human impact of the floods cannot be understated. Homes and livelihoods were lost. Flood risk management is urgent for Welsh policymakers.”

Top priorities for ICE Wales Cymru

Cutting across transport, energy, water and flood risk management, these were the top priorities outlined in the manifesto:

1. Resilience

To address flood and other risks, ICE Wales Cymru recommends developing a long-term capital and maintenance programme across all public sectors.

It believes lead local authorities must develop strategies to improve property-level resilience in flood risk areas, building on progress made through the implementation of sustainable drainage solutions (SuDS) across Wales.

Wales must also continue to invest in new and existing infrastructure assets and speed the transition to a zero-carbon economy.

ICE Wales Cymru promotes a mixed approach to energy generation – including nuclear and renewables.

It also proposes that Wales becomes an ‘energy hub’ for the UK, taking full advantage of its natural resources, such as higher-than-average wind speeds.

Since its 2021 manifesto, ICE Wales Cymru has advocated for strict energy efficiency measures for buildings. It continues to support the use of carbon management standards, such as PAS 2080.

2. Skills

Wales must continue to invest in growing the next generation of civil and infrastructure engineers and upskilling the workforce in order to deliver infrastructure that drives the economy and society.

Since 2021, ICE Wales Cymru has worked with the Wales Apprenticeship Alliance to raise awareness about the importance of apprenticeships in civil engineering. It has also been involved in a campaign to attract 16-18-year-olds to the field.

This led to the Welsh government introducing degree apprenticeships at South Wales and Wrexham Universities in 2024, which the institution strongly welcomed.

The institution will look to build on these successes and call for further development to level 7 apprenticeships, which would match the ICE’s academic requirement for chartership (i.e. a master's degree equivalent).

3. Infrastructure Pipeline

Joined up infrastructure across land, sea and air remains urgent as ever as the country faces the compounding effects of climate change and lack of investment in public services.

To this end, it recommends that the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales  develops an infrastructure pipeline of projects, with set timelines. As a devolved nation, Wales has its own framework for setting this pipeline (not to be confused with the UK government's).

Civil engineering companies need to plan for their future with confidence. 

“Let’s hope we can build on the tangible successes of the last manifesto to create sophisticated and joined-up infrastructure to benefit communities and the economy in Wales,” Sirati said.

Read the manifesto in English and Welsh.