Flooding Minister opens new University of Hull flood resilience centre

The Property Flood Resilience Laboratory (PFRlab), developed with the Environment Agency and insurers Flood Re, will offer businesses access to world-class research facilities and expertise to accelerate innovation in the development of new flood resilience products and technologies.

The launch coincides with the Environment Agency’s annual flood awareness campaign which urges households and businesses to better understand their flood risk and take proactive steps to reduce it. The opening of the PFRlab reinforces the University’s position as a national leader in flooding research and resilience, highlighting its commitment to supporting communities and industry in adapting to the growing impacts of climate change.

Professor Stuart McLelland, Deputy Director of the University’s Energy and Environment Institute and research leader at the PFRlab said: “Flooding is one the most urgent climate challenges facing the UK. We can’t prevent flooding altogether, but we can accelerate measures to better protect properties when flooding happens.

“PFRlab will drive innovation and greater confidence in a growing industry with world class experimental facilities and expertise supporting the development of tried and tested flood resilience products and technologies.”

Flooding Minister Emma Hardy MP said: “Floods devastate lives and livelihoods. We’re investing more than £10.5 billion up until 2036 to build new and repair existing flood defences, driving growth by creating thousands of jobs, protecting against billions of pounds of damage, and unlocking the building of new homes.

“The state-of-the-art PFRlab will use the latest technology to bring to market new products that are vital for protecting properties from flooding. This Flood Action Week, I urge everyone to take simple steps to protect yourselves and your homes from flooding this winter.”

By 2050, one in four properties in England is predicted to be at risk of flooding from rivers, surface water or sea. Of the six million households currently at risk of flooding in the UK, only 1.6 million have signed up to receive Environment Agency flood alerts.

Professor Briony McDonagh, Professor of Environmental Humanities said: “Communities across the UK have experienced severe flooding in recent years, with many still facing the repercussions years later. Flood risks are increasing as sea levels rise and seasons grow stormier.

“Despite the ongoing impacts from past flooding events and increasing future risk, we are not sufficiently prepared for the consequences of climate change. To build more resilient communities we need to act now. Encouraging people to sign up to receive flood warnings is an important first step.

“As a university we have been learning the lessons of past flooding events and gaining a better understanding of future flood risks. We work with communities prone to flooding and subject to coastal change. Our expertise is co-created. Together we can take steps today to ensure we are flood ready and more flood resilient, now and in the future.”