Managing risk and loss from flooding

A series of pilot projects is proposing ways that will help reduce the financial losses and inconvenience for urban government authorities and private landowners from more intense and frequent rainfall events.
 
Hyder Consulting is supporting Birmingham City Council on one of 15 pilot projects investigating how to reduce the impacts of urban drainage flooding in towns and cities across England. 
 
The pilot aims to investigate the areas at risk, identify the causes and consider the best ways of managing urban drainage.  The study takes in the planned regeneration and development of a former Rover car production site.
 
Urban flooding is particularly challenging to manage, partly because several different organisations are responsible for different aspects of the problem.  The project will provide the government sponsor with a recommendation as to the best arrangements for reducing flood risk in Birmingham and solutions that could be applied nationally.
 
The pilot is using new tools and techniques for mapping and managing surface water (tested by Hyder on the Glasgow Strategic Drainage Project) following heavy rainfall events. It also addresses future increases in risk resulting from urban creep, climate change and from peri-urban fringe flooding.