About
The West Yorkshire Flood Resilience Programme (WYFLIP) has received £310,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which will be used to develop research around six work streams to help make the region more resilient to flooding and the impacts of climate change.
The six work streams are:
- Developing early flood warning systems to those at risk within West Yorkshire
- Using green social prescribing schemes to provide nature-based activities for some of the most vulnerable communities in the region
- Forging links between the green finance and flood resilience sectors to improve protection for homes and businesses
- Developing flood source mapping systems to better prepare for climate change
- Understanding how land-use and agriculture can play a part in addressing the climate and ecological emergencies
- Delivering the joint benefits – environmental, social and economic benefits – of nature based solutions.
Project layout
Developing effective flood warning systems to those at risk within West Yorkshire
Using green social prescribing schemes to provide nature-based activities for some of the most vulnerable communities in the region
Work package 3
Forging links between the green finance and flood resilience sectors to improve protection for homes and businesses
Developing flood resilience mapping systems to better prepare for climate change
Understanding how land-use and agriculture can play a part in addressing the climate and ecological emergencies
Delivering the joint benefits: environmental, social and economic benefits of nature based solutions
Proposals
Proposals currently being explored are:
- Developing effective early flood warning systems for those who are at risk of flooding within West Yorkshire, including transient individuals
- Connecting health professionals with flood risk managers to enable joint benefits and efficiencies by linking natural flood management (NFM) delivery and sustainable drainage systems with social prescribing. For example, when considering trees planting in the light of joint benefits for flood risk and green social prescribing to improve health and wellbeing
- Using a systems-based approach to assess the benefits of using land for natural flood management against agriculture to make sure it is most effective
- Forging links between those who work in green finance and flood resilience by organising workshops. These include planners, developers and the insurance industry. They will explore opportunities and challenges such as identifying new funding schemes, increasing the uptake of property flood resilience and building more resilient homes and businesses
Following consultation with partners, the WYFLIP Board and Steering Group will work collaboratively with partners to deliver the Accelerator project. The six work streams address flood related challenges and seek to increase the resilience of the region through feasibility studies and knowledge sharing.
This research will help boost resilience to climate change and builds on the work already undertaken in the region to tackle the climate emergency and becoming a net zero region by 2038.
Partners
Five lead Local Flood Authorities – Bradford, Leeds, Calderdale, Kirklees, Wakefield
The Environment Agency, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Yorkshire Water
The programme also has support from local stakeholders including academic partners, community based groups and Third Sector organisations.
iCASP provides scientific lead, ensuring the latest research is embedded into new techniques employed across the region and provide an evaluation framework.
Duration
1 January 2024 – 31 March 2025