Specialists in environmental management research programmes from Hyder Consulting have joined forces with the School of the Built Environment at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh to develop means for collecting flood data to assist with future flood prevention schemes aimed at minimising risk to people, homes and businesses in the process. It is also hoped that the developed proforma will be included within the biennial reports that Local Authorities are required to submit to the Scottish Executive.
Alastair Moseley, Director of Water Environment Services at Hyder Consulting said: 'Working with the University, we will investigate how flooding incidents are reported and to whom, how the data is recorded and responded to and who is responsible for alleviating the flooding.'
SNIFFER has commissioned this project on behalf of the Scottish Executive, Scottish Water, and Scottish Environment Protection Agency. The project runs for nine months from June 2006.
The project endeavors to promote a standard methodology for data collection after flood events, in response to recent costly and damaging flood events across Scotland, with the aim of understanding the causes and consequences of a range of flood events. It is hoped that the project will help inform decisions to minimise the risk and damage resulting from the events by adopting a more sustainable approach to flood management.
SNIFFER identifies and manages environmental research on behalf of its members - the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), the Environment and Heritage Service Northern Ireland (EHS), the Scottish Executive, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the Forestry Commission, and other stakeholders.
