About us
The University of Hull and Humberside Fire and Rescue Service are working in partnership to deliver the purpose-built UK National Flood Resilience Centre. The first of its kind anywhere in the world, it will combine simulated full-scale urban and rural environments that can be inundated to provide flood emergency responders with realistic swift and still water training and the research community with large-scale research and innovation infrastructure. Using the National Flood Resilience Centre as a vehicle, we will make the UK a world-leader in the management of, and resilience against, catastrophic flooding.
Rationale
The UK is predicted to continue experiencing serious flooding with increasing frequency and magnitude. It is more essential than ever that communities are resilient, we have the capability to deliver an effective emergency response during these events and ensure rapid recovery afterwards.
What will the National Flood Resilience Centre do?
Enable world-leading research
Our experts are internationally recognised for their research in understanding flooding and flood-prone places and have contributed to national flood resilience policy. Our work spans a wide range of topics from the arts and humanities and social science to physical environmental science, computer science and engineering. It collaborates with leading agencies, companies, research institutes and universities across the globe.
Create a world-leading facility
To create a step change in its activities and impact, we aim to build a world class, £15m bespoke flood simulation facility here in the Humber. The facility will provide an immersive environment for research, community benefit, education and flood responsiveness. Simulating urban swift and still water flood events in a realistic, cost effective, safe and managed environment, it will have at its heart ‘Inundation Street’, a life-sized urban street scene with mock commercial and residential properties.
Drive innovation
The University of Hull’s £3.4m Flood Innovation Centre supports companies to find new and innovative approaches to flood resilience, in particular through connections with the University’s renowned flood and climate research expertise. Funding from the European Regional Development Fund provides specific resources for the Humber region to stimulate growth in the flood sector and develop innovative community resilience approaches to flooding.
Engage with Communities
Working with at-risk communities to explore how they understand and respond to flood risk and the impact of flooding on the lives of those affected. We collaborate with a range of partners to develop innovative ways to make communities aware of their flood risk and help them become more resilient to flooding. By supporting communities and businesses to be better prepared, we help householders, businesses and the economy to return to normal more quickly when catastrophic flooding occurs.
Educate with impact
We support education and learning about flood and flood resilience for people of all ages. The Centre has been closely involved in the development of the University of Hull’s new Masters programme in Flood Risk Management. The first students enrolled to start the course in September 2020. With support from key employers responsible for flood risk management, this course will create a new generation of flood risk specialists, filling an identified skills gap in the UK and internationally. Short courses to develop specialist skills for professionals are also available.
Improve flood response
Through the expertise of the Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, and working with other service leaders and a wide range flood responder agencies across the country, we aim to improve the training and safety of those who respond in flood emergencies. Tailored training packages and real-world exercises delivered in world class specialist facilities will support the development of national competency standards and support responders to work safely and effectively in flood situations. Making a major contribution to improving coherent regional, national and international flood responsiveness, we will help communities, businesses and individuals to lose less and recover more quickly.
By working with businesses and communities, we will raise awareness of the threat of flooding and enable those at-risk to be better prepared. The National Flood Resilience Centre will help citizens and businesses understand their risk and what action they can take to minimise damage and distress, getting them back to normality more quickly.
Partners
The National Flood Resilience Centre is a partnership between the University of Hull and Humberside Fire and Rescue Service. Together they combine cutting-edge research, innovation and training capabilities with practical expertise in the delivery of catastrophic flood management response.
University of Hull
The University of Hull has a well-established record of research and innovation in flood prediction, management and resilience, led by the world-class multi-disciplinary work of its Energy and Environment Institute. By building on its strong links with industry, business, government and the local community, the University’s vision is to establish the National Flood Resilience Centre not only as a national centre for research, innovation and teaching, but as a world-leader in its field.
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service
With its extensive, front-line experience of managing catastrophic flooding events, Humberside Fire and Rescue Service understands just how vital it is to train and test its front-line staff and those of other agencies. Through purpose-built facilities, we aim to create a training environment capable of mounting much more realistic urban flooding scenarios so that the preparations of all agencies for dealing with future events can be improved and better coordinated by being put to rigorous test.
