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Online resources for UK businesses preparing for and responding to flood events

This resource is designed to support business, and those working with business, to identify research to support their projects and decision-making in preparing for and responding to flood events.
Heavy rain

Introduction

Flooding presents a range of threats to businesses. It has a disproportionate impact on the UK’s 4.5 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that represent nearly half of the country’s business turnover. SMEs are particularly vulnerable as they are less likely to be prepared to manage the consequences, with fewer resources to mobilise in response. Risk exposure reduction and preparedness measures will inevitably vary with the nature of the SME business.

This online resource is designed to support business, and those working with business, to identify research to support their projects and decision-making in preparing for and responding to flood events. It includes current and completed UK Research Council-funded research from the past decade, as well as new projects to follow for results in the coming years.

The resource has been developed by the Adaptation and Resilience in the Context of Change network (ARCC) was staffed and managed by UKCIP, and hosted by the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford. The network, which was funded by EPSRC, supported the creation of robust built environment and infrastructure sectors within the UK, to deliver benefits to society, the economy and the environment.

Using the resource

The online resource allows users to browse relevant reseach, projects and tools. These are assigned to categories focused on before, during or after a flood, or can be filtered using broad classifications:

  • business continuity / minimising damage / vulnerability
  • forecasting / prediction / warnings
  • defences / property-level adaptation / risk management strategies
  • economic costs / evaluation / learning / insurance / direct & indirect losses
  • green & blue infrastructure / nature-based solutions
  • communication / engagement / behaviour change / awareness
  • sustainable transport / supply chains / resilient infrastructure
  • health & wellbeing
  • attribution / climate change / extreme weather events
  • broader policy / community resilience
Go to the resource >

Flood barriers in place in Worcestershire

Workshop proceedings: Flooding & business – what does research tell us?

On 09 October 2017 ARCC and the University of Leeds hosted a research synthesis workshop to enhance the accessibility and uptake of research outputs to meet the needs of a diverse stakeholder community, and in a timely manner.

Read more about the workshop and its outputs here: https://www.arcc-network.org.uk/extremes/flooding/flooding-business-what-does-research-tell-us/

Download a summary report of the day (pdf, 4.2 MB).

Presentations:

  • Dr Stephen Garvin, BRE: The property flood resilience action plan

  • Dr Andy Moores, Environment Agency: Flooding and business: A view from an EA research perspective

  • Mary Dhonau OBE: How to make a business ready for flooding

  • Prof Andy Plater, ARCoES, University of Liverpool: Flooding & business – what does research tell us?

  • Prof Bingunath Ingirige, University of Huddersfield: Impact of flooding on small businesses and the exploratory study into flood adaptation in Mytholmroyd

Suggested Citation for the featured download:

Wilkins, T.M. & Walton, P. (2017) Flooding & business –what does research tell us?. UKCIP, University of Oxford. Accessed online: https://www.arcc-network.org.uk/wp-content/pdfs/Flood-workshop-summary.pdf

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