Flood risk management

Flooding from surface water, groundwater, rivers, estuaries and the sea pose a serious threat to millions of people around the world. It is likely that risks are rising and will continue to do so as a result of climate change. Effective modelling and mapping solutions are critical to our improved understanding of these risks. We have extensive experience in this area and can address a diverse range of flood risk issues and provide advice on flood risk management solutions. Our consultancy work is underpinned by our active involvement in climate change and flood risk research and the development of bespoke industry-leading tools.

We have considerable experience of mapping and modelling floods and their consequences. By applying different computational models and systems we can address a wide range of flood risk issues. We have developed many of these tools ourselves which means we can offer bespoke solutions to our clients.

Since 2002, we have led the development and application of flood risk methodologies for the National Flood Risk Assessment of England and Wales. We’ve also completed similar separate projects for Scotland, Northern Ireland, Norway, Malaysia, Moldova and, most recently, Southern Ireland. 

Flood risk assessments are needed to understand both the level and sources of flooding at a site. We’ve conducted many flood risk assessments (FRA) for local developments and strategic flood risk assessments (SFRA) for local communities. Our experts can assess the flood risks for a site and advise on how to minimise these, supporting our clients through the planning process.

Our expertise covers the technology and science behind the different strands of sustainable and integrated catchment flood risk management. For instance, we can design flood monitoring networks and warning systems, or develop a flood risk management plan. Or we can evaluate and design a range of engineered flood alleviation options. We are also highly experienced in designing flood hazard mitigation strategies for communities, critical infrastructure and environmental assets.

Natural flood management (NFM) describes flood management measures that work with natural processes to reduce flood risk. Our team has been involved in research on NFM methods for many decades and has developed new approaches to model their effectiveness. We also recently led the development of new guidance on green engineering in rivers.

We provide the Kitemark test facility on behalf of the British Standard Institute and the Environment Agency, assessing the performance of flood protection products. We also carry out laboratory testing of different building construction materials and techniques, which can be used to develop guidance and refine product designs.

We are at the forefront of research into sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). Through our detailed understanding of hydrological and hydraulic processes and experience of surface water management, we develop industry wide guidance, build tools and deliver training.

Flood risk management is a key focus of many national and international research programmes. We carry out research for a variety of clients, including the European Commission, government agencies and research councils. Our expert engineers and scientists feed back the outcomes of this research to our consultancy projects. This ensures that the solutions we deliver are truly state of the art.