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Flood Risk Management

Characterisation and management of flood impacts through state-of-the-art modelling tools.

Increasing flood risk

Floods are the most frequent, economically damaging and socially disruptive of natural disasters. The frequency of river and tidal flood events is increasing more rapidly than other natural disasters.

This is a result of climate changeurbanisation and environmental degradation.

Flooded river in the English countryside.

Managing flood risk

Flood risk management aims to reduce the likelihood and impact of floods. It provides a framework that balances the many factors that affect risk, while considering societal values. This involves:

  • data and information gathering
  • performing hydrodynamic modelling
  • risk assessment
  • appraisal of options
  • the implementation of solutions

Innovative flood modelling

We have developed a suite of state-of-the-art hydrodynamic modelling tools. These tools include the GPU enabled HiPIMS and cloud-enabled CityCAT.

We have also developed novel approaches to characterising flood impacts, such as:

  • using network models to assess impacts on infrastructure
  • using agent-based models to understand evacuation during flood events

We work closely with our Geomatics colleagues. We are combining new remote sensing and other data with advanced analytics and informatics. Together, this provides new high resolution and real time flood risk management.

Managing floods around the world

We are currently exploring issues relating to the management of floods in the UK and overseas, including Bangladesh and Vietnam.

We make communities more resilient to flooding. We provide strategies that are more sustainable given an uncertain future.

Projects
  • Blue-Green Cities
    Project Leader(s): Prof Chris Kilsby
    Project Dates: 2013-2016
  • Future Storms
    Project Leader(s): Prof Hayley Fowler
  • Future Urban Flood Risk Management
    Project Leader(s): Chris Kilsby (Newcastle PI)
    Project Dates: October 2016 - September 2019
  • SINATRA: Susceptibility of catchments to INTense RAinfall and flooding
    Project Leader(s): Hayley Fowler (Newcastle PI)
    Project Dates: September 2013 - May 2019
  • Towards Resilience to Pluvial Flood Events
    Project Leader(s): Claire Walsh
    Project Dates: November 2018 - October 2020
Methods
  • CityCat
  • HiPims