The Property Flood Resilience Laboratory (PFRlab) will support businesses in designing and developing products to make homes and businesses more flood resilient
A “pioneering new facility” has been officially opened at the University Of Hull that will support firms in designing and developing products to make homes and businesses more flood resilient. Flooding minister and West Hull and Haltemprice MP, Emma Hardy, was invited to mark the occasion as part of Flood Action Week.
The Property Flood Resilience Laboratory (PFRlab), a collaborative effort between the Environment Agency and insurers Flood Re, will provide businesses with access to top-tier research facilities and expertise, fostering innovation in the creation of new flood resilience products and technologies. The launch aligns with the Environment Agency’s yearly flood awareness campaign, which encourages households and businesses to gain a better understanding of their flood risk and take proactive measures to mitigate it.
The opening of the PFRlab bolsters the university’s standing as a national frontrunner in flooding research and resilience, underscoring its dedication to assisting communities and industries in adapting to the escalating impacts of climate change. Professor Stuart McLelland, deputy director of the University’s Energy and Environment Institute and research leader at the PFRlab, said: “Flooding is one the most urgent climate challenges facing the UK. We can’t prevent flooding altogether, but we can accelerate measures to better protect properties when flooding happens.
“PFRlab will drive innovation and greater confidence in a growing industry with world class experimental facilities and expertise supporting the development of tried and tested flood resilience products and technologies.”
Ms Hardy said: “Floods devastate lives and livelihoods. We’re investing more than £10.5 billion up until 2036 to build new and repair existing flood defences, driving growth by creating thousands of jobs, protecting against billions of pounds of damage, and unlocking the building of new homes.
“The state-of-the-art PFR lab will use the latest technology to bring to market new products that are vital for protecting properties from flooding. This Flood Action Week, I urge everyone to take simple steps to protect yourselves and your homes from flooding this winter.”
By 2050, one in four properties in England is predicted to be at risk of flooding from rivers, surface water or sea. Of the six million households currently at risk of flooding in the UK, only 1.6 million have signed up to receive Environment Agency flood alerts.
Professor Briony McDonagh, professor of Environmental Humanities, said: “Communities across the UK have experienced severe flooding in recent years, with many still facing the repercussions years later. Flood risks are increasing as sea levels rise and seasons grow stormier.
“Despite the ongoing impacts from past flooding events and increasing future risk, we are not sufficiently prepared for the consequences of climate change. To build more resilient communities we need to act now.
“Encouraging people to sign up to receive flood warnings is an important first step. As a university we have been learning the lessons of past flooding events and gaining a better understanding of future flood risks.
“We work with communities prone to flooding and subject to coastal change. Our expertise is co-created. Together we can take steps today to ensure we are flood ready and more flood resilient, now and in the future.”