Reducing the impact of flooding on society

Impact

The research is frequently used in policy documentation for Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Environment Agency (EA), Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Natural Resource Wales. The methodologies produced from the research have facilitated all central government investment in flood risk management interventions since 2014.

At-risk communities are the key beneficiaries of the research through prioritisation of investment in flood and coastal erosion risk management and the implementation of flood risk management measures. Over 720 schemes have been implemented between 2015 and 2020 in England, and 700,000 people have benefitted from reduced flood risk. Between 2016-2021, over 45,000 properties in Wales and 10,000 properties in Scotland have benefitted from flood defence investment.

The Hull Flood Frontage defences and Oxford flood risk management schemes are two examples of major interventions which have been evaluated and developed using Middlesex research outputs and data.

The research is routinely used by flood risk management professionals and policymakers. 146 organisations have used the loss assessment methodologies between 2014-2020, 28 courses have been run for EA, SEPA, and Local Authority flood risk managers, and 499 flood risk professionals have been trained in FHRC’s approaches to flood loss assessment.