The importance of flood planning in new developments with Simon Crowther
The Flood Guy recently delivered an insightful talk on mitigation and adaptation for residential developers in an increasingly water-logged UK.
Simon Crowther, an engineer who made a name for himself as one of British media’s go-to-experts on flooding, touches on a number of essential issues for planning and construction teams when considering flood risk and protection.
The video features sections on why proactive flood planning is critical for protecting lives, properties, and infrastructure, practical strategies such as resilient design and sustainable drainage systems, the role of innovation, technology, and policy reform in future-proofing developments against evolving challenges.
In the summer of 2007, Crowther’s East Midlands home was flooded no less than seven times, with a lack of surface water mapping technology at the time meaning his household had previously been unaware of their vulnerability to extreme weather events. While the flood protection industry has progressed significantly since then, many home owners are underinformed about the dangers of flooding, particularly given the UK’s FoodRe insurance system, which effectively guarantees affordable policies covering addresses that would otherwise be highly expensive, or uninsurable, due to their flood risk.
In Crowther’s presentation about his organisation, FloodEx, and its consultancy arm, FPS Environmental LTD, the focus is on new developments which are not covered by this financial protection, but could become increasingly prone to potential flooding events in the coming years and decades. Aimed at the ‘developer, policymaker, or [those] simply interested in understanding how we can adapt to an uncertain future’, you can watch the full talk above.
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