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ClimateNE & Climate Change Schools Project support the move to a low-carbon, resilient economy and help businesses avoid risk and realise commercial opportunities. Posts by Jen Atkinson, Krista McKinzey and Harriet Thew » By Harriet 20.01.2012
Flooding is a large and ever-increasing problem, with 19,167 properties at risk in the North East of England alone. (Figure from: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_178773).
But...If we take precautionary measures, then we can minimise the risks to ourselves and to our communities. As your Granny always told you, FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED!
In order to achieve community resilience, we need to be able to raise awareness of flood risk and motivate our community, including local businesses, to take action.
A great way to do this is through our schools. Schools are at the heart of our communities and are therefore well-placed to deliver meaningful and co-ordinated community engagement, drawing in support from a range of professional partners to tackle locally pertinent issues.
We (the Climate Change Schools Project) have recognised this and teamed up with the Environment Agency via the Northumbria Regional Flood & Coastal Committee to run a new project called ShocFlood (School Hubs for Community Flood Risk Reduction).
Four schools are taking part, all in priority flood risk areas around the North East. They are taking the lead to deepen understanding of local flood risks, to increase preparedness, and, where possible, to reduce the risks. They are also increasing community cohesion along the way and discovering many additional benefits for the young people, parents and organisations taking part.
The over-arching aims of all four of the ShocFlood projects are the same:
(1) To reduce flood risk and help North East communities to prepare
(2) To encourage action now which will save time and money in the future
(3) To keep people safe and build resilience
(4) To empower pupils to take the lead on issues which are important to them, to provide advice and support to the community, using existing links and forging new ones , with a focus on engaging vulnerable and hard to reach groups.
However, their solutions are individually tailored to the risks that are present locally:
- Pupils at All Saints Primary School in Lanchester are informing their parents and neighbours of simple steps they can take to be prepared for flooding, including making posters and videos to highlight how flood risk in the village can be mitigated by keeping litter and garden waste out of local watercourses.
- Bydales School in Marske by the Sea are focussing on coastal flood risk. Pupils are working with local experts to learn about the need for, as well as the design and construction of, the Flood Alleviation Scheme in Redcar which is currently being built to protect a 2.7 km stretch of North Sea coastline
- Oakdene Primary School in Billingham are teaming up with Environment Agency staff to learn how to prepare for and minimize the risk of river flooding: http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/gazette-communities/ts23-billingham/ts23-billingham-local-news/2011/11/24/boost-to-cut-cowbridge-beck-floods-in-billingham-84229-29830286/#ixzz1jtPEYiJN
- Morpeth First School suffered severely from flooding in September 2008 with many pupils and their families experiencing damage and disruption. The school are sharing their experiences of recovery to help the local community and are also keen to provide advice to any other schools who are at risk of flooding.
Pupils are consulting with concerned residents and local experts, and making plans to raise awareness during school-led sustainability weeks. They are also planning several activities to take place during National Climate Week (12th - 18th March) see: www.climateweek.com
The schools involved in ShocFlood are working with a wide range of public, private and third sector partners (over 45 organisations since September 2011).
If you would like your business to be one of a growing number from the North East to become involved in ShocFlood, or any of the Climate Change Schools Project's other activities, please contact the CCSP team:
Krista: krista.mckinzey@durham.ac.uk Tel: 0191 370 6205
Harriet: harriet.thew@durham.ac.uk Tel: 0191 370 6203
Further information will shortly be available on the Climate Change Schools Project website: www.climatechangeschools.org.uk
To find out if you are at risk of flooding and to see if you are eligible to receive a free flood warning from the Environment Agency, call Floodline on 0845 988 1188 or visit www.environment-agency.gov.uk/flood
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