Dr Briony McDonagh, Reader in Historical Geography and Lead for the Risky Cities project, said: “Time and time again, we see the heart-breaking impact of severe flood events on our communities.
“Flooding has the ability to devastate lives – and as the world continues to experience the impacts of climate change, these events will become more frequent, and more powerful.
“We need to act, and we need to act now. At the University of Hull, we have the expertise and knowledge to better prepare communities for flood events – to increase resilience and awareness of their consequences.
“Risky Cities is an exciting and unique project, using innovative arts and humanities approaches – including learning histories for flood-prone cities like Hull – to build climate awareness and flood resilience today and for the future.”
The Risky Cities project is funded by the AHRC and UK Climate Resilience Programme. It represents a £330,000 backing in the University’s flood expertise.
It has three key strands. The first will explore the history of flooding in Hull, examining how communities have learned to live with water over the past 800 years.
Secondly, Risky Cities will examine how flooding has been documented in centuries gone by, including that in literature and by famous poets including Andrew Marvell.
Finally, the project will explore opportunities to use arts and heritage to engage local communities, telling stories from the past which will raise and prompt action in relation to climate change and flood resilience.
Risky Cities will also build on existing University partnerships with major arts bodies, including Absolutely Cultured and the National Youth Theatre.