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National Flood Resilience Centre

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World-leading research, innovation, education and training to drive UK flood resilience in partnership with Humberside Fire and Rescue Service

Project summary

The Challenge

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of storms, placing communities at greater risk of catastrophic flooding and coastal erosion

The Approach

Bringing world experts in flood processes and flood resilience together with major new facilities to support adaptation to our changing climate

The Outcome

Communities and businesses will be better prepared for flooding and back in action more quickly afterwards, reducing costs, disruption and trauma

Lead academics

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Dr Briony McDonagh
Dr Stuart McLelland
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Project partners

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Humberside Fire WEB

The Challenge

“Climate change is upon us, and its impacts are getting more severe with each passing year” (Global Commission on Adaptation, 2019)

Human-induced climate change is leading to raised sea levels and increasing the frequency and intensity of precipitation in the UK and globally, placing more communities at risk of catastrophic flooding and coastal erosion.

“The world must urgently cut greenhouse gas emissions and it must increase adaptation efforts to protect vulnerable populations. Neither is happening.” (UN Environment programme, 2023)

Dramatic and urgent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions towards ‘net zero’ are needed to mitigate the damage, but we must also adapt rapidly to a stormier climate. There is an urgent need to drive a culture change in water resilient design, preparedness, response and recovery. A nucleation point is needed to focus national effort.

“Nationally we are not sufficiently prepared for the impacts of climate change” (UK Local Government Association, 2023)

Key Challenges

We have identified four main challenges to the development and adoption of innovation in climate change adaptation:

  1. The connection between the research base and industry supporting innovation in flood resilience needs to be stronger and more diverse.
  2. An established commercial flood resilience sector is lacking in the UK, as are incubators, accelerators and business clusters which directly support flood resilience, including for development and testing.
  3. There are significant skills shortages at all levels to grow innovation and implement best practice in flood resilience and preparedness.
  4. Responsibility for flood resilience is shared between many organisations and government departments, with no single point of national focus.
Hull Flood 2007

“Since 2007, five major flood events caused an estimated £7.6bn of economic damage in England"

Environment Agency

The Approach

A world-leading centre for research, innovation and learning

Focussed on sustainable flood resilience and climate adaptation

Stimulating an innovative business ecosystem

Driving UK economic growth and productivity

International Centre of Excellence

The Centre brings world leading expertise in flood and flood resilience from the internationally recognised Energy and Environment Institute at the University of Hull together with specialist real-life experience from the Humberside Fire and Rescue Service - one of the UK’s most capable expert flood responder organisations.

Centre experts collaborate nationally and internationally, focusing activity across four key themes:

Understanding floods

  • Flood processes
  • Environmental fluid dynamics
  • Flood modelling
  • Flood hazard & vulnerability
  • Socio-spatial planning & flood risk

Physical adaptations

  • Sustainable drainage and blue green infrastructure
  • Natural Flood Management
  • Property-level flood resilience

 

Societal adaptations

  • Environmental Humanities and Water Cultures
  • Community engagement & critical climate consciousness
  • Flood governance
  • Flood hazard & vulnerability
  • Serious games
  • Insurance sector

Education and Learning

  • MSc Flood Risk management
  • PhD (CDT aspiration)
  • CPD (eg Flood Literacy)
  • First responder training & exercising
  • Communities & third sector

 

 

A selection of our impactful research, knowledge exchange and community engagement flood resilience activities:

Case studies

View all
Ongoing project

Building flood resilience

Our flooding experts are driving the national and international flood resilience agenda

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Ongoing project

A Living Lab for Sustainable Drainage

Bringing together on-campus and community surface water management measures in one monitoring and evaluation system

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Ongoing project

Coast-R Network+

An inclusive and collaborative community of practice building knowledge, action and resilience for UK coastal communities and seas

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Ongoing project

Harnessing the power of two

Humber estuary digital twin for more accurate flood prediction and flood risk management

Humber Bridge
Ongoing project

Risky Cities

Using innovative arts and humanities approaches to build climate awareness and help communities become more flood-resilient

Hull Flood 2007
Ongoing project

Addressing tidal flood risk

The University of Hull’s Energy and Environment Institute carried out research as part of the IMMERSE project that focused on challenges and threats facing estuaries

Humber Bridge
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The Centre could reduce UK economic impacts by up to £9.9bn over 30 years

(RAS Risk & Hazard Management)

The Impact

Research

“We need bold ideas to inspire innovation beyond what people think is possible” (Global Commission on Adaptation, 2019)

  • Expand and accelerate research of international standing into flood resilience, flood dynamics and flood response engaging the arts, heritage, humanities and social sciences as well as science and technology.
  • Drive collaboration across all stakeholders to co-create research programmes addressing future flood resilience challenges.
  • Bring communities, creatives and experts together to build climate awareness and flood resilience for all.
  • Monitor and evaluate the benefits and impacts of interventions.

 

Innovation

"Demonstrator sites and innovation testbeds are critical to accelerate change, support engagement and create evidence for new approaches” (Mark Fletcher, Chair, British Water)

  • Nucleate business innovation for flood resilience in the UK and internationally.
  • Catalyse the creation of a business cluster focussed on innovation in flood resilience with capacity to grow into a thematic climate resilience innovation park, creating high quality jobs and economic growth.
  • Support development of flood resilience products, materials, technologies and infrastructure by providing pre-test, testing, monitoring and demonstration facilities to recognised standards, addressing an urgent need within the supply chain for evidence and certification.

 

Education, Training and Exercising

“We need to actively develop flooding and coastal erosion skills and talent” (Environment Agency FCERM Strategy for England, 2020).

  • Support and develop graduates and postgraduates in areas of skills shortage.
  • Build on existing doctoral investment to grow talent and enhance UK capacity in flood and flood resilience, producing future sector leaders within academia, government and the wider economy.
  • Innovate in evidence-based training and exercising to mitigate risk in water rescue and for people exposed or responding to water hazard.
  • Collaborate with partners to provide short courses for professionals to support a range of flood resilience activities from product development and installation to nature-based solutions, working in or beside water, community preparedness, executive education and emergency response using bespoke, safe facilities.
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As a result:

  • Damage, loss, disruption and trauma due to flooding will be reduced.
  • Communities will be more resilient to flooding and better prepared when it occurs.
  • Experts will grow their understanding of floods, improving predictions and enhancing resilience - leading to better outcomes for people.
  • A wider range of improved flood resilience products, services and infrastructure will be available to help flooded communities and businesses get back into action more quickly.
  • Specialist training in flood resilience, response and recovery will address known skills shortages
  • There will be a new national focus for collaboration in flood resilience, bringing together experts, industry, the public sector and communities.
  • A new insight-led industrial sector will focus on climate resilience, generating high quality jobs, growth and GVA in the green economy for the Humber region and the UK.
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