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Details of Award

NERC Reference : NE/S016031/1

Identifying and prioritising nature based climate change adaptation measures for addressing future flood risk: creating a systematic evidence map.

Grant Award

Principal Investigator:
Dr J Carter, The University of Manchester, Environment, Education and Development
Co-Investigator:
Dr J Rothwell, The University of Manchester, Environment, Education and Development
Co-Investigator:
Professor GF Haughton, The University of Manchester, Environment, Education and Development
Co-Investigator:
Dr A Barker, The University of Manchester, Environment, Education and Development
Science Area:
Atmospheric
Earth
Freshwater
Marine
Terrestrial
Overall Classification:
Unknown
ENRIs:
Environmental Risks and Hazards
Natural Resource Management
Science Topics:
Climate & Climate Change
Regional & Extreme Weather
Risk management
Communication of uncertainty
Floods
Environmental Planning
Spatial Planning
Climate change adaptation in planning
Environmental governance
Environmental policy/regulation
Urban planning
Abstract:
The purpose of this research is to provide an assessment of evidence and tools available to implement nature-based solutions (NBS) to address future flood risk in the UK in order to build the resilience of the UK's people, economy and infrastructure to climate change. It will do so through three main phases. Firstly, we will map the existing state of the environmental evidence base that UK practitioners can draw on with respect to climate projections and nature-based solutions to address fluvial, pluvial and coastal flood risk. This shall be done in a way that recognises the co-benefits of these measures and how they can be used within a holistic flood risk management approach. Secondly, we will address the usability of existing evidence amongst the practitioner community in order to isolate evidence gaps and good practice with regard to NBS evidence. Thirdly, the project will bring together a researcher and policy community around NBS in order to propose novel means of implementing UK commitments on climate resilience in light of key social and economic challenges and communicate this in a range of different formats. Our engagements with the policy and research communities will occur around a variety of fora. Firstly, through desk-based research, we will seek to understand the current range of evidence relating to NBS in the UK around the themes of: (1) understanding the evidence required for the implementation of NBS, such as new climate projections at different scales; (2) understanding the available data on the effectiveness of NBS from both the natural and social sciences; and (3) understanding the opportunities for, and barriers to, implementing NBS relating to the current evidence base and available climate change projections. Secondly we will undertake research with key researchers in the field through workshops in order to co-identify areas of research evidence opportunities and gaps. Once the evidence landscape has been mapped out, we will work with regional practitioners in Greater Manchester in order to understand the extent to which exiting policy and evidence is usable in meeting their aims of building climate resilience. Greater Manchester is a good case study in this regard due to the policy commitments relating to building the resilience of the city and also the range of funded projects that are currently being undertaken to support the implementation of NBS. This includes the EU Life + Natural Course Project, the H2020 funded Green Cities for Climate and Water Resilience, Sustainable Economic Growth, Healthy Citizens and Environments (Grow Green), and GM's selection as a Defra Urban Pioneer. Whilst we recognise the limits to generalisability from focussing on the experiences of Greater Manchester, the work should isolate useful insights, particularly for practitioners working at city and regional level, with the opportunity to understand some of the issues around the impact (or potential impact) of the devolution agenda and potential loss of funding from European sources after Brexit. The project will therefore target different research and policy communities in a variety of ways in order to develop a systematic overview of the challenges and opportunities facing the UK in terms of utilising existing evidence bases to facilitate the implementation of NBS to address future flood risk. The various outputs that will support this include an evidence database, policy briefs targeted at different types of practitioners, and reports on evidence gaps and good practice in making research useful to practitioners in light of revised UK climate projections.
Period of Award:
2 Jan 2019 - 3 Jul 2020
Value:
£78,581
Authorised funds only
NERC Reference:
NE/S016031/1
Grant Stage:
Completed
Scheme:
Innovation
Grant Status:
Closed
Programme:
EEF

This grant award has a total value of £78,581  

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FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)

DI - Other CostsIndirect - Indirect CostsDA - InvestigatorsDA - Estate CostsDI - StaffDI - T&S
£3,759£30,700£10,875£5,971£24,637£2,637

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