The first UK-wide floods and droughts research infrastructure will significantly improve our understanding of how, when and where floods and droughts occur in different parts of the country. This will inform action to improve our resilience to the increasing impacts of climate change on people, the economy and nature.
UKRI-Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has confirmed £38 million funding for the ambitious programme, which it is jointly leading with the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), in partnership with the British Geological Survey, Imperial College London and the University of Bristol.
The new Floods and Droughts Research Infrastructure (FDRI), comprising fixed and mobile measuring equipment in river catchments in different parts of the UK, will monitor the entire water environment–on a much bigger scale than previously. It will integrate data on evaporation, soil moisture, weather, groundwater and river flows for the first time, making them easily available for researchers.
The FDRI team will take advantage of cutting-edge technologies including advanced computer modelling, artificial intelligence and drone footage to deliver near real-time data and improve our understanding of floods and droughts.
Impacts on people and wildlife
Millions of people in the UK are affected by floods and droughts, with various impacts on residents, farmers, businesses, transport and wildlife, and climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. The cost of damage caused by flooding alone is estimated at more than £700m a year.
Without significant investment in research infrastructure, there would be a lack of scientific evidence to support the UK's resilience to extreme weather, and the damage and costs would spiral upwards, say the team behind FDRI.
Dr Doug Wilson, UKCEH Science Director, says: “This exciting project will transform UK scientific research into floods and droughts, significantly enhancing our capability to prepare for and respond to extreme weather events.
“Our improved understanding of how water flows through the environment and the impact of climate and land use change on the hydrological cycle, combined with faster, more easily accessible data, will greatly improve our predictions about the location and extent of floods and droughts.
"This will inform future action to better protect communities and limit the impacts on people, the economy and the environment.”
The data and insights from FDRI will enable government agencies, local authorities water companies and landowners to develop better, cost-effective infrastructure and systems that are more resilient to extreme weather.
Digital technology
FDRI is initially testing a range of digital instrumentation and monitoring techniques in ‘outdoor labs’ on selected rivers – the upper Severn in mid-Wales, the Chess within the Thames catchment and the Tweed in Scotland to build up a UK-wide picture.
In addition to fixed instruments, the team will have a variety of innovative, cutting edge mobile, digital measuring equipment to monitor upcoming and ongoing extreme weather events across the country. These include:
- drones to measure river volume and flow as well as land soil moisture.
- multi-spectral video that enables us to monitor surface temperatures and vegetation water loss.
- lidar mapping to measure how low a floodplain is around a river and amount of water it stores
- radio-controlled survey boats to monitor river flows.
- new sensing equipment such as fixed camera systems that use AI to interpret river flows.
NERC’s award of funding followed a scoping study that included consultation with a range of stakeholders to establish their requirements for FDRI.
Professor Louise Heathwaite, Executive Chair of NERC, says: “Earth’s changing climate means the number of extreme floods and droughts will increase in the UK, impacting homes, businesses and services. But predicting their location and measuring their intensity and impact needs the sort of scientific advances that this programme will bring, to overcome the data and analytical constraints that are currently very challenging.”
FDRI will be “using the power of science and tech to keep the public safe”, says Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle MP. “With climate change sadly making extreme weather events more common and adding an eye-watering cost to the economy, there is no time to waste in backing our researchers and innovators to ensure we are better prepared for floods and droughts,” he adds.
For more information on FDRI, see the website and animation, below.