About us
Our experience:
The Flood Hazard Research Centre (FHRC) has been active since the early 1970s and therefore comprises one of the oldest research centres in the world focusing on water, environmental management and natural hazards. The centre is an acknowledged world leader in the socio-economic analysis of flood hazard and related policy. And a British flagship in international research in natural disasters, as recognised in 2000 by the centre's prestigious Queen's Anniversary Prize for Further and Higher Education and the centre’s prominent 2002-2004 involvement in Sir David King’s Future Flooding ‘Foresight’ project.
The centre staff work across a range of disciplines including geography, economics, sociology, social anthropology, and environmental science. We have a PhD and Masters level training programme and run professional training courses for Environment Agency, local authority and consultancy staff.
In 2008 FHRC was approached by the Environment Agency to devise a course that would be seen as the standard for visual assessment and monitoring of flood defences, not just for Environment Agency inspectors but also inspectors in other organisations. FHRC and the Environment Agency worked together to create the flood defence asset visual assessment programme for England and Wales. The course is now established within the Environment Agency and is also being used by local authorities, large engineering consultancy firms and DARD Northern Ireland.
We seek to emphasise
We seek to emphasise the links between socio-economic aspects of human behaviour and environmental change, and thereby develop alternative solutions to environmental problems. As such we believe we are part of a general movement world-wide which emphasises sustainable solutions to environmental problems, involving a careful mix of socio-economic policies and sound environmental science. We work at the interface between the physical and the social aspects of environmental management and policy, and encourage integration between the different disciplines working in these areas.
Our policy is to form a bridge across several different types of research:
- Fundamental “blue skies” research seeking to understand fundamental human-environment relations;
- Applied research seeking answers to current problems;
- International research to reveal comparisons, and which illuminate UK policy, practice and research results.
We have found over many years that in each case one type of research is assisted by the others. Fundamental research can set the context for applied studies, while the latter raises questions that drive “blue skies” investigations. International comparisons assist both. We do not prioritize one over the other two, rather we seek a balance between the three areas.
Our reputation and expertise
Our reputation and expertise is informed by an up to date view of the state of the art in the relevant research areas. This is reflected by the portfolio of past and current research projects undertaken by our research staff.
