Innovation

. . .   Flood Risk and PR14

were discussed at a stimulating and well attended Environment Agency seminar  on Wednesday 12th December 2012, in London.  Disarmingly,  this wide-ranging UK public service is inviting innovation in five particular fields,  namely:-

1. The joining-up of ‘supply-side’ catchment risk (ie to AVOID divorcing WATER_RESOURCE from WATER_LIABILITY).
   • Water-the-asset is in private hands , whilst
   • Water-the-liability remains a public burden perhaps less concerned with innovation
2. The scarcity of water (ie ‘private’ solution of drought and quality risk)
3. Regulation (with talk of a water-Kyoto-summit to impose sustainability on operational delivery
4. The worsening exceedance stats of natural water (ie ‘public’ solution of FRM and insurance thresholds)
5. The joining up of ‘demand-side’ resource resilience

Innovative attenuation numerical modelling suggests that rural ‘Glastir-style’ (ie funded) buffer strips with added hydraulic function can join up  ii.   and  1v.   to achieve the goals set out in   i.  (above)

Promoting comment that,  High Friction Flood Plains,  which increase green reservoir capacity at low cost, offer  multiple benefits without lateral impact.