EA Principal Scientist, Dr Jacqui Cotton encourages us as Flood Risk Managers, to really think about what information the public need and want to hear before and during flood events. Salience, she argues, is key to engaging with the public in meaningful, actionable and transformative ways.
Planning cities now to be resilient to future risks is crucial, especially in light of UN projections estimate that two out of every three people on the planet will be living in cities by 2050. This article explores the shift towards engaging people and communities in Flood Risk Management as part of wider 'planning for resilience' measures.
Bob Grabowski examines changing rainfall patterns in the UK within the context of the December 2015 floods. He makes the case that rain in itself does not cause flooding, but there are a number of other influences including human activity and the way we have shaped the landscape. Here, he explores the case for Natural Flood Management.
December 2015 saw the the wettest year on record since 1902 in the UK with storms Desmond, Eva and Frank generating prolonged, intense rainfall conditions that caused widespread flooding across the country. In this blog, Ed Trevillion examines the impact of flood damage and flood risk assessmnets on real estate, property value and insurance in the UK.
The need for Flood Risk Management researchers to engage with the public has never been more apparent. Yet, while researchers shy away from this important role, the public increasingly rely on the media and other sources for scientific information. Chris Skinner challenges researchers, to get out there and engage with the public to raise the profile of flood risk management.
In this article, Dirk Eilander illustrates the ways in which social media can be considered a valuable source of information for disaster risk reduction. During floods, the data can be used for decision support by providing a picture of what is happening on the ground and to recreate the chronology of the flood for future planning.
In this article for The House Magazine, Professor Colin Thorne examines the case for dredging rivers. He argues that, on its own, it is not an effective or sustainable way to manage flood risk and that dredging should only be considered as part of a well-planned Integreted Flood Risk Management strategy.
Catherine Butler and Kate Walker-Springett examine the potential role that communities can play in shaping policies and solutions to Flood Risk Management. They argue that the inclusion of flood affected publics’ knowledge is imperative in long–term planning and policy.
In this article, Steven Forrest explores the role of Flood Action Groups and questions why they are becoming more prominent in the UK, but no longer feature in the flood risk management landscape of the Netherlands.
The performance of property rainwater drainage systems is of vital importantance in protecting buildings from rainwater damage and in determining flood risk downstream. To provide the resilience needed to protect against extreme rainfall events, an overhaul of the current design methodology is needed.
One year on from the devastation caused by the winter floods of 2013 that inundated Somerset, we examine why it's crucial now, more than ever before, for a holistic, joined-up approach to Flood Risk Management in the UK.
Sue Tapsell explores the ways in which risk perception is dependent on a number of social and cultural factors. She argues that to build truly resilient communities, society must enable them to envision a future where change is more positive than the status quo.
This month Ryan Woolrych considers flood resillience in older adults. He argues that building resilience requires a change in the way we percieve older adults. Designing 'age-friendly' communities that value and support older adults will help them prepare for and respond to floods.
Nick Mount explores the idea that one the greatest influences on flood risk is actually people and their behaviour. He argues that understanding these human considerations requires expertise from social scientists, and may herald significant changes in the way we fund and build research teams.
The August blog is written by Prof. Colin Thorne, Nottingham University. He offers us a vision wherewe plan for flood risk management that benefits both society and the river.
It wasn’t so long ago that the UK was facing devastation as the winter floods of 2013 inundated Somerset and the surrounding areas week after week, causing damage estimated to have reached £1billion with severe consequences for communities...