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A network of digital sensors would be an ‘absolute dream’ for emergency planners during a flood incident – Mick Devine and Amy Boyd at Wakefield Council explain why.

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Pictured: Flooding incident at Barnsdale Road Around 6,600 homes in the Wakefield district are permanently at risk of flooding from sudden storms. It’s actually surface water flooding that poses a bigger threat to the area than rising river levels as parts of the district’s drainage system could easily be overwhelmed by heavy rain. This is … Read more

Tenderbog – caring for our peatlands

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Pictured: – Visit to Fleet Moss, photo by Laura Harrington Laura Harrington and Feral Practice (Fiona MacDonald), the UK Artists in Residence for WaterLANDS, have been busy during their first year exploring the Great North Bog – the UK Action Site which is a network of peatlands in Northern England – and getting to know … Read more

How art and science can progress urgent peatland conversations – reflections by WaterLANDSUK engagement lead Josh Cohen

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Pictured: Listening event – photo by Laura Harrington Last weekend (Saturday 17 February) Laura Harrington took part in a peat coring and ‘listening walk’ event with Durham Wildlife Trust, site lead Rebecca Clarke, sound artist Tim Shaw, Dr Antony Blundell from University of Leeds and Josh Cohen at St Cuthbert’s Moor Nature Reserve in Durham. … Read more

A cash boost to improve skills & capacity to reduce flood risk

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Photo by ALTERED SNAPS Leaders of the West Yorkshire Flood Innovation Programme (WY FLIP) have successfully secured almost £300,000 to help make the region more resilient by boosting the skills and capacity of those who manage flood risk. They have been awarded £286,293 in levy funding from  Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee  (YRFCC)  to … Read more

World heritage wetland site threatened by strawberry farming

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Sunset at Laguna Dulce by Jorge Monje Strawberry lovers might want to check the provenance of their fruit this summer following controversy about a new farming bill which could cause the devastation of an iconic Spanish wetland. Scientists from the University of Leeds and the Spanish National Research Council say urgent protection is needed for the fragile … Read more

Monitoring sediment and water quality on the River Skell

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iCASP and the SORBY fluid dynamics lab at the University of Leeds have been commissioned, as part of the Skell Valley Project, to monitor fine sediments and water quality on a stretch of the River Skell. We are working with the National Trust to understand where sediment is sourced from, and how natural flood management … Read more

Plans for a new digital solution to give early flood warnings  

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Plans are underway to create a network of sensors across West Yorkshire to give people earlier warnings about the risk of surface water flooding. Board membersfromWest Yorkshire Flood Innovation Programme have successfully bid for £97,000 from the Discovery Phase of round six of the Local Digital Fund to test whether using smart technology for such a … Read more

Humble hedgerow have their part to play in mitigating climate change

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A new hedgerow standard has been announced as part of Defra Secretary Therese Coffey’s upgraded Sustain­able Farming Incentive package for 2023. Professor Pippa Chapman, expert in soil and biogeo­chemistry, Dr Sofia Biffi, Dr Richard Grayson and Prof Guy Ziv, at the University of Leeds, have written a study –Soil carbon sequestration potential of planting hedgerows … Read more

West Yorkshire communities at risk of flooding gain £187k to become more resilient

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Press Release More homes at risk of flooding throughout West Yorkshire will become more resilient thanks to a successful Local Levy bid for £187,000. Partners from five local authorities and the Environment Agency joined forces as part of the West Yorkshire Flood Innovation Programme (WY FLIP) to secure the funds for their project focused on … Read more

New recruits help climate-proof University of Leeds

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Two new climate change resilience officers – Juliet de Little and Julie Mair – have joined the iCASP team to undertake a crucial task for the University of Leeds. Their role for the next six months is to conduct a Climate Change Risk Assessment and Resilience Review to identify the climate risks posed to the … Read more