Ongoing Project

National Flood Resilience Centre

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.

Institutes and centres

Energy and Environment Institute

Lead academics

Dr Giles Davidson

Professor Thomas Coulthard

Professor Briony McDonagh

Professor Stuart McLelland

Dr Robert Thomas

Project Partners

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:

The connection between the research base and industry supporting innovation in flood resilience needs to be stronger and more diverse.
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.
There are significant skills shortages at all levels to grow innovation and implement best practice in flood resilience and preparedness.
Responsibility for flood resilience is shared between many organisations and government departments, with no single point of national focus.

Since 2007, four major flood events caused an estimated £9.2bn of economic damage in England and Wales

Environment Agency

The Approach

A world-leading centre for research, innovation and learning

Focused 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

The Impact

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

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.

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.