Five million people a year are affected by floods and droughts in the UK, with the number and the cost of damage set to increase in the coming years due to climate change.

However, scientists find predicting their location and measuring their intensity and impact a significant challenge.

A new research infrastructure launched today with £38 million in UK funding will advance our understanding of how, when and where floods and droughts occur.

This will improve the UK’s resilience to extreme weather events and reduce their devastating impacts on residents, businesses, services and transport.

The Flood and Droughts Research Infrastructure (FDRI) will build an evidence base and seek solutions to extreme flooding and droughts including improved forecasting and the development of new technologies. The FDRI will also build monitoring capability using near real-time data from a network of ‘outdoor labs’ located on UK rivers.

The rivers Severn (bordering Wales and England), Chess (within the Thames catchment), and Tweed in Scotland are initially being used to test a range of digital instrumentation and monitoring techniques.

Using the latest instrumentation, scientists will observe the entire water environment – measuring evaporation, soil moisture, weather, groundwater and river flows.

Cutting-edge technology including advanced computer modelling, artificial intelligence and drone footage will be adopted and this capability will help to build a nationwide picture.

Funding of £38 million has been awarded by the UKRI-Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). The project will be led by NERC and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) with partners at British Geological Survey, Imperial College London and the University of Bristol.

Dr Nick Chappell, Reader in Hydrological Processes at Lancaster University is the Chief Science Advisor and Chair of the Community Advisory Group for the FDRI project.

He said: “This is a significant and much needed investment in data-gathering equipment for the use of the research community that will enable scientists to further our understanding of the risks posed to our communities and infrastructure by flooding and droughts in a changing climate.”

Dr Doug Wilson, UKCEH Science Director, said:

“This is an exciting project which, for the first time in the UK, will involve monitoring the entire hydrological system as a whole, rather than looking at individual elements such as river flows or groundwater levels separately.

“Our improved understanding of how water flows through the environment and the impact of climate and land use change on the hydrological cycle, combined with faster, more easily accessible data, will enable us to better predict the location and extent of floods and droughts.

“This will significantly enhance the UK’s capability to prepare for, and respond, to extreme events and better support those people affected by the impacts of extreme weather.”

Professor Louise Heathwaite, Executive Chair of NERC, said:

“Earth’s changing climate means the number of extreme floods and droughts will increase in the UK, impacting homes, businesses and services. But currently we find it challenging to forecast exactly where and when these will take place.

“This investment will transform the way we predict these events by building a significant bank of data and improving our monitoring capability, and so helping to protect those impacted. This is an example of how NERC is responding to climate challenges with research and innovation investments that will accelerate the green economy and deliver solutions to national priorities.”

Damaging floods and droughts are a significant challenge for forecasters because of the complexity of earth’s changing climate and how it interacts with natural systems and geography.

This investment will increase the UK’s ability to analyse environmental data and improve flood and drought forecasting, allowing us to better protect those affected and more accurately respond to water supply demands.

The project will work closely with organisations in the environmental and government sectors, including the Environment Agency, to build modelling and help prepare for severe weather.

NERC’s award of funding followed a scoping study that included consultation with a range of stakeholders to establish their requirements for FDRI.