Leicester Regeneration Company and Leicester City Council have joined forces to fund a new Flood Risk Assessment for the city. This £40,000 project involved developing a complex computer model of the city and its main waterways, the River Soar, Melton Brook, Braunstone Brook, Saffron Brook and Bushby Brook.
The model was then used to predict how these waterways and surrounding areas might be affected by sudden, severe storms – known as one-in-one-hundred year storms. From this information, it was then possible to develop a map of which areas might be at risk of flooding in the future.
But we also need to know how much climate change might increase the risk of flooding. The Government believes river flows could increase by as much as 20 per cent by 2050 because of climate change. Taking this into account, the computer model shows how more areas of Leicester could be at risk of flooding in future due to climate change.
This Flood Risk Assessment has provided a very real illustration of how climate change, a problem which many people see as a far away or even non-existent threat, could have a big impact on our own city.
Most of Leicester is well protected because major flood defences were installed after the severe flood in 1968. Large pipes were installed to quickly divert flood waters down river, away from the city. This has protected most residential areas of the city from flooding ever since.
However, if global warming does lead to increased river flows some areas of Leicester are more likely to suffer flooding in the future. Obviously, homes situated close to the River Soar - where it has natural banks - will be at the most risk.
Climate change could also increase the risk of flooding in prime development areas, such as Frog Island and Abbey Meadows. But the whole point of the Flood Risk Assessment is to identify which key areas might be affected in years to come and make sure action is taken to protect them. Much can be done to reduce the threat of flooding in Leicester.
Anyone wanting more detailed information about which particular areas might be at risk of flooding in the future will be able to have a look at the maps for themselves when they are published on the Environment Agency's website at www.environment-agency.gov.uk.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP PREVENT FLOODING?
Flooding has become a bigger problem in urban areas in recent years because there are so many more hard surfaces. Rainwater simply flows straight off tarmac and concrete, rushing into the drains all at once. When cities had more soft ground and green spaces, the water would gradually soak in and reduce the impact of a sudden downpour.
- Homeowners can make a difference by keeping their front and back gardens green, instead of laying slabs, block paving or decking. Alternatively, you can buy special slabs and bricks which are water permeable. Developers are also being encouraged to take this into account when they are building new properties.
- Businesses moving into prime development areas like Frog Island and Abbey Meadows, which may be at some risk of flooding in the future, may also be asked to incorporate flood defences into the design of their new premises. They might build barriers to keep flood waters back or raise the level of the site, which could provide added protection for neighbouring homes.
- All of these measures are only ways of dealing with the problem of flooding though. If we do not do anything about climate change, temperatures may continue to rise and the risk of flooding will increase even more. What we really need to do is produce less greenhouse gases so we can help to reduce global warming as much as possible!