Initial Catchment Assessment Tool

iCAT is a web-based tool that supports Natural Flood Management (NFM) site assessments. Practitioners can upload attribute tables exported from ArcGIS, and iCAT automatically calculates metrics such as water attenuation capacity, habitat benefits, funding opportunities, and indicative construction costs. The tool provides clear reports to give a stronger initial assessment of potential catchment areas for NFM interventions.

Upload data

User manual

How it works

Set up ArcGIS and configure the iCAT attribute table schema (Area, Line, Point).
Digitise features in ArcGIS (NFM features and BNG habitats).
Export the attribute tables to XLSX.
Sign in to iCAT.
Create a catchment.
Import the exported file(s) into the catchment.
Open the Catchment Report and review the metrics.

Before you start: read the User Manual for steps on how to use the application.

Outputs

Attenuation

A comparison of target vs. predicted water attenuation.

Grants

Available private and public grants for the mapped features.

Biodiversity Net Gain

An estimate of existing and proposed BNG units.

Costs

An estimate of the operational costs for proposed features.