Knowledge Exchange for the Fluvial Flooding projects of the FREE Programme (FRUITFUL)

Lead Research Organisation: NERC CEH (Up to 30.11.2019)
Department Name: Harding

Abstract

This project involves the participation of FREE project partners, CEH's established KE intermediaries, and end users including various associations. The work to be undertaken is described below. The objective of all of these different actions is to speed up the process of FREE research into effective use within identified operational methods and tools, or in policy, and as soon as is feasibly possible. All actions with will take place within existing arrangements for IPR licensing and exploitation. 1. KE Facilitator and Project Coordination A part time Project Facilitator will support the delivery of the overall KE project. The facilitator will oversee the delivery of the individual components, ensure coherence of the different activities, and strengthening of floods researcher - user networks. In addition, the Facilitator will be responsible for maximising delivery of FREE research outputs into application-ready formats and drafting an impact assessment review of the project. The Project Facilitator will be assisted by senior staff from CEH and partner organisations, providing advice and back-up. Together they will address problematic issues as they arise, and develop options to maximize progress towards economic benefits. 2. Mapping FREE Research Outputs An initial action will be to map, in detail, the research outputs of relevant FREE projects. This action will involve project PI's in identifying key programme outputs, and then agreeing the optimum approach to maximising impacts from those outputs. Some of these outputs will require considerably more research before they are ready for use in applications tools, or as reliable science support to policy. Other outputs are expected to relate to communications and KE actions which are beyond the scope of this proposed project. Where outputs clearly have the potential feed into the identified routes to application or policy, a development plan will be prepared to describe those actions required to speed up transition from outputs to practice or policy. These results will be discussed at a 'kick-off' workshop. 3. Research to policy and practice workshops Four other workshops will be organised in conjunction with project partners having the objectives of facilitating dialogue between FREE researchers and stakeholders/end users. They will be held at partner premises and be used to : a. Discuss mapping results, the implications of FREE policy-relevant research to key policymakers, and obtain their feedback of to aid drafting policy briefs. b. Scope development plans by which FREE outputs will be prepared for use in established flood estimation, forecasting, and flood risk assessment tools. c. Scoping future research priorities through science and policy foresight. d. Strengthening the integration of target end-users into research networks e. Improving dialogue / network building with the wider floods community through contributions to the Annual EA-DEFRA Floods conference 4. Network Building The network building activities will focus upon strengthening existing, and building new linkages between the floods research community and key target end user groups. These include organisations responsible for flood defence, critical infrastructure (water, electricity, transport); emergency services and local government; insurance and flood protection organisations. Most of the activities in this KE project will contribute in some way to network building. However, the main drivers will be the Facilitator, the workshops, the presentation of FREE outputs at the EA-DEFRA Floods Conference and via web communications including podcasts. 5. Code Writing This KE project will fund a small amount (20 days) of software programming where appropriate. 6. Training Courses FREE research outputs will be integrated into and used to update existing training programmes for FEH, flood risk and forecasting, including the revision of training material and re-training of trainers.

Publications

10 25 50
 
Description FRUITFUL and FREE science posters and fliers were developed and used at a range of meetings to stimulate stakeholder interest and take-up of FREE outputs. These events include:
1. Defra / EA Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management conference (July, 2010);
2. FREE Final Science Meeting (October 2010);
3. The Fruitful project featured on the WHS exhibitors stand at the Institution of Civil Engineers "Learning to Live with Flooding in Wales" Conference in Cardiff (March 2011);
4. A side meeting was convened with Scottish Environment Protection Agency staff at the Scottish and Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research annual Flood Risk Management Conference (February 2011) to present NERC FREE flood research and solicit views on future developments of the Flood Estimation Handbook based on this research.
5. Institution of Civil Engineers "Delivering Regeneration Conference" in Cardiff (November 2011). This was organised by the Regeneration Skills Collective Wales (RSCW), comprising ICE Wales Cymru, The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, The Royal Society of Architects in Wales, The Royal Town Planning Institute in Wales, The Chartered Institute of Housing and The Landscape Institute Wales. Flood management is a key component of urban regeneration often requiring novel techniques to reach appropriate solutions;
6. ICE Wales, supported by CIWEM "Learning to Live with Flooding conference (March 2012) with a Keynote Address by John Griffiths AM, Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development.
Exploitation Route The outcomes from FRUITFUL can be used to inform further developments of flood estimation techniques and improved understanding of future flood risk.
Sectors Environment

 
Description Following the successful engagement with the Flood Management Team within the Scottish Environment Protection Agency staff at the Scottish and Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research annual Flood Risk Management Conference, a working group has been established to develop the FEH rainfall runoff methods within Scotland, drawing on outcomes of the FREE programme. This has so far generated two MSc. projects for 2012 with the University of Dundee, steered by CEH and SEPA staff. In collaboration with SEPA a coherent, quality controlled dataset of event flows and event rainfall to support this method development has also been delivered. Some of the new research from the FREE fluvial flooding projects was encapsulated within the existing FEH software suite and disseminated with the new releases of the software. Finally, FRUITFUL and the outputs of the NERC FREE projects have been promoted extensively through the NERC Water Security KE programme (WSKEP) communications and workshops. It appears on the front page of the Floods section on the WSKEP web page.
First Year Of Impact 2011
Sector Environment
Impact Types Economic