The Impact
“The SuDsLab project is demonstrating ways to create more space for accessible nature in our urban environments, whilst capturing meaningful evidence for decision makers to replicate these changes elsewhere.”
Matthew Millington
Local Nature Partnership Development Officer
East Riding of Yorkshire Council
SuDSlab UK will increase water sustainability on campus, improving flood and drought resilience and raise the profile of sustainable drainage and water in the urban environment. By establishing the University’s campus as a densely instrumented environment for water monitoring, it will also act as a pilot for wider initiatives. Further impact will arise through:
Research
SuDSlab UK will provide a unique research tool for academic study of sustainable drainage to increase our understanding of how sustainable drainage components interact to influence the overall hydrological performance of a small catchment as well as allowing us to examine in detail the effect of soil substrates in water attenuation.
SuDSlab UK will also create opportunities for research into the social impacts of creating blue green infrastructure, giving insight into the benefits of natural flood management on the well-being of those who live, study and work nearby.
Innovation and Demonstration
We will share data from SuDSlab UK openly to help and encourage others to innovate new and better sustainable drainage solutions. We also plan to develop more testbed facilities where novel formats and substrates can be evaluated and compared, bringing sustainable drainage research into reality.
Knowledge exchange activity through programmes like the University’s £3.4m Flood Innovation Centre are engaging developers and stakeholders to inform future projects and mitigate the impacts of new developments on flood risk by designing sustainable drainage into new developments.
Education and Awareness
SuDSlab UK will support a wide range of education provision. We are incorporating new learning opportunities about sustainable drainage into our own undergraduate and postgraduate programmes such as our MSc in Flood Risk Management, as well as using SuDSlab UK as a learning tool in professional short courses for specialists.
Of course, we will also bring sustainable drainage to life for the community more widely – especially to children through a wide range of projects and opportunities to involve young people through engaging with schools and youth groups.