Task 7. Engagement and co-design with Q-NFM partners and wider stakeholders
This task was as important as the core modelling Task 4. We needed the expertise of our Q-NFM Partners to: (a) prioritise the types of possible NFM interventions to be investigated with modelling; (b) define spatial extents of NFM deployment that are ambitious but 'realistic' (Chappell and Beven, 2024) in the Cumbrian and wider setting; (c) to help us present results that have both credibility and meaning for policy makers, the wider CaBA community and the wider public; and (d) help us fully inform partners and other NFM implementing organisations of feature and scheme designs that deliver optimal flood mitigation benefits (Chappell and Beven, 2024).
Specific tasks:
7.1 Co-develop scenarios of NFM extent and preferred location: The co-development of scenarios of NFM extent and preferred location to meet the needs of the diverse stakeholder community in small to large test catchments (and similar catchments nationally) sought to gain the partner knowledge to produce maps of deployment locations in Task 5. This partner-led task (Task 7.1) was coordinated by subcontractor David Johnson of the Rivers Trust given his extensive experience at organising stakeholder activities. This task involved formal workshops and numerous one-to-one engagement activities, involving a diverse range of local (Cumbria) and national stakeholders from within and beyond the existing partner team (including representatives of the farming community, local flood action groups, local government, local businesses etc.) to these workshops.
7.2 To translate complex scientific results into practice: Our partners helped the Q-NFM investigators translate our complex results into graphical results (incorporating uncertainties) that can be understood by all partners and the wider stakeholder community. We will then engage with a range of communities at risk from flooding and other key stakeholders.
Examples of results presented in practitioner-friendly graphs were presented in the (Q-NFM Finale presentation).
Policy outputs (with contributions from NERC Q-NFM):
Chappell, N.A. and Beven, K. 2024. Nature-based Solutions for effective flood mitigation: potential design criteria. Environmental Research Letters, 19(7): 074006. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad4fa2.
Green Finance Institute 2024. Financing Natural Flood Management. view online.
Chappell, N.A., Evans, M., Hammond, J., Hankin, B. Johnston, A. and Adekanmbi, A.A. 2023. Illustrating the value of presenting NERC NFM programme findings as effective volumes at flood peaks, flood damages avoided and learning on soil as an NFM tool. NERC NFM Report Card. Lancaster University, University of Manchester, University of Reading and JBA Consulting. 10.5281/zenodo.10361737. view online.
Elliott, J., and Giritharan, A. 2023. Going with the flow: Policy implications of new natural flood management research. Green Alliance. ISBN 978-1-915754-03-5. view online.
Page, T., Chappell, N. and Leeson, P. 2022. The significance of wet-canopy evaporation. Wood Wise: 10-15. view issue online or view paper (pdf).
Wentworth, J. and Ermgassen, S.Z. 2020. Natural mitigation of flood risk. POSTnote: 623 (May 2020). UK Parliament. Contributions from Q-NFM team members Hankin and Chappell. view online or view paper (pdf).
Sharing findings with end-user partners:
Chappell, N. How well can flood peaks be mitigated on farmed land? Invited presentation in Slow the Flow session at the Oxford Real Farming Conference on 4 Jan 2024, Town Hall, Oxford. view online.
Chappell, N. NFM Evidence Base. Invited presentation to West Cumbria Catchment Partnership meeting, Braithwaite Institute, Cumbria on 29 Nov 2023.
Chappell, N.A. Findings of the Q-NFM project. Presentation to Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly FCRIP team on 31 Oct 2023, Penrith.
Chappell, N.A. and Kennedy, D. Lancaster University stand on findings from NERC and EA funded research on effectiveness of Natural Flood Management at Flood & Coast 2023 on 6-8 June 2023, Telford International Conference, Telford.
Chappell, N.A. Findings from re13:26 15/04/2024search on effectiveness of Natural Flood Management. Invited online seminar to Natural England on 31 May 2023. 13:26 15/04/2024
Chappell, N.A. Natural Flood Management. Invited online seminar to Isle of Man Department of Infrastructure on 26 April 2023
Chappell, N.A. NERC Q-NFM project findings. Banners presentation at Yorkshire NFM Community of Practice on Mon 2 Feb 2023 at Gargrave, Yorkshire
Chappell, N.A. Simply Evidence 60: Flood mitigation effectiveness of nature-based solutions in peatland, productive grasslands and woodland: Policy implications from new evidence from a 5-year NERC research programme. Invited online seminar to Defra Simply Evidence programme on 17 Nov 2022
Chappell, N.A. Findings of the NERC Q-NFM project. Invited online seminar to Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (DCIoS) NbS and NFM Group on 8 Sept 2022.
Chappell, N.A. Sharing C-NFM and Q-NFM monitoring. Field discussions with National Trust and Environment Agency at Hardcastle Crags on 21 July 2022
Chappell, N.A., Page, T., Beven, K., Hankin, B., Metcalfe, P. McShane, G., Kretzschmar, A., Mindham, D., Smith, P., Haygarth, P., Quinton, J. and Lamb, R. Findings of the NERC Quantifying the likely magnitude of nature-based flood mitigation effects across large catchments. Online presentation at the NERC Evaluating the Effectiveness of Natural Flood Management (NFM) Research Programme Finale Event on 7 July 2022. view NERC Q-NFM Finale presentation 7 July 2022
Chappell, N.A. Sharing NERC Q-NFM learning with UK Government Open Innovation Team. Online on 31 May 2022
Chappell, N.A. Sharing NERC Q-NFM learning pertinent to optimising NFM outcomes within new woodland design with Natural England. Online on 27 May 2022
Chappell, N.A., NFM monitoring. Field presentation to Beck to Bay Partnership on 10 Feb 2022 at Birds Park NFM, Kendal.
Chappell, N. Findings on NFM effectiveness. Field presentation to Natural England on 25 Jan 2022 at Lowther Estates, Cumbria.
Chappell, N. NFM effectiveness in Cumbria. Invited presentation to Natural England (Cumbria) at Whale Farm, Askham on 23 Sep 2021
Chappell, N. and Page, T. 2020. Measuring NFM effectiveness. NERC NFM programme webinar series 3 December 2020 12:30-13:30. view webinar recording or view slides (pdf).
Chappell, N. 2020. NFM monitoring (with analysis) approaches to evidence impact. iCASP webinar series 22 June 2020 13:30-15:30. view webinar or view slides (pdf).
Hankin, B. 2020. Q-NFM: The challenges of modelling NFM. NERC NFM webinar series 21 May 2020 12:30-13:30. view webinar or view slides (pdf).
North West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee. 2020. Meeting 24 Jan 2020 reported on work of Q-NFM. view minutes
Hankin, B., 2018. Bringing NFM Field Evidence and Modelling Together. CIWEM North West meeting, Lancaster University 16 May 2018.
Chappell, N.A., 2018. The Q-NFM project. CIWEM North West meeting, Lancaster University 16 May 2018.
Chappell, N.A., 2017. Supporting business with NFRM research. view (27 Sep 2017)
Eggerslack flume flood alert station at 11:18am BST on 4 Oct 2021