BRIC to help flood risk communities in UK and France
19/04/2021
A new project to help communities in France and the UK tackle flooding has been given funding from the Interreg France (Channel) England programme.
The two-year Building Resilience in Flood Disadvantaged Communities (BRIC) project designed to build networks between individuals, community organisations, NGOs and public authorities in the UK and France, to find better ways to tackle flooding and test flood risk management.
The project, led by Plymouth City Council in the UK, will support people and communities likely to be affected by flooding, particularly vulnerable groups. This will include awareness raising using novel approaches such as augmented reality to ‘experience’ the effects of flooding scenarios and help co-design solutions.
Smart devices and public information totems designed by one of the programme’s partners OgoXe will provide up to date community information and personal alerts. New volunteer community networks will develop Flood Champions trained in safety measures and incident reporting. An interactive web platform will also provide local data and information alongside guidance, good practice and education materials to support city-wide flood risk management.
The project was pilot schemes in communities in southern England and northern France. The aim is to create a guide and new tools and resources that can be used more widely in areas affected by flooding across the UK and France.
Councillor Sue Dann, Plymouth City Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Street Scene said: “Flooding can have a devastating impact on our communities and we are pleased to secure this funding to help us build networks with residents and community groups. By working together we can better tackle flooding – just one example is a targeted smart early warning system so people can be better prepared if their home or business is facing being flooded.”
Carolyn Reid, Programme Manager, Interreg France (Channel) England, said: “The damage caused by flooding has a huge cost and social impact on communities in the Channel area.
“Through funding this project, we seek to support new approaches to flood management which will help communities adapt to climate change and build local resilience. Importantly, solutions will be developed in consultation with local citizens, including with the most vulnerable groups, and with a focus on future proofing.”
The project has a total budget of €3.4m of which €2.36m is funded by the European Regional Development Fund via the Interreg France (Channel) England Programme.
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- Evacuation of flooded Nemours town center. Credit: Arnaud Bouissou / Terra