What is pluvial flooding and who's at risk?

Date	Monday, November 14, 2011
Topic	Biodiversity & Natural Environment [5] Planning, Land & Flood Defence [6] Greenhouse Gas Emissions & Climate Change [7] Environment [8] Governance & Civic Participation [9] Infrastructure [10] Quality of Life [11]

A new study for Joseph Rowntree Foundation explores the increasing risk posed by pluvial flooding – the type of flooding most likely to increase in severity as a result of climate change. These kinds of flood are the most difficult to manage because they are hard to predict.

The study assesses how many people in urban areas are at risk from pluvial flooding. It also examines the vulnerable social groups who are most exposed to this risk.

Key findings include:

Approximately 2 million people in UK urban areas are exposed to an annual pluvial flood risk of 0.5 per cent or greater.
An additional 1.2 million people in urban areas could be put at risk by 2050 due to a combination of climate change and population growth.
From a social justice perspective, it is important to know the characteristics of the population at risk, not just the number of properties in an affected area.
An interdisciplinary approach incorporating engineering, natural sciences and social sciences is required to better understand social vulnerability to flood risk.

You can download the summary and full report at: http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/pluvial-flooding-invisible-hazard [2]

If you would like to discuss this research further, please contact Josh Stott, Programme Manager: josh.stott@jrf.org.uk [3]

You can find out more about the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s work by visiting our website: www.jrf.org.uk [4].

You may have found us by using the following keywords: Our Climate, Climate Change Partnership, Climate Change, Regional, Adaptation Sub-Group, Adaptation, Local Authorities, Strategy and Monitoring, Built Environment, Transport, Health Services, Business, Land Management, Citizen Engagement, Energy, Waste, Water, Carbon, Flood risk, Mitigation, Leadership, Low Carbon Products, Low Carbon Services, Zero Carbon, Integrated Regional Strategy, Yorkshire and Humber Strategy, Climate Change Act, Regional Adaptation Study, Climate Change Plan for Yorkshire and Humber, Climate UK, Regional Coordinator, Low Carbon Economy, Bio-mass, Carbon Capture, Microgeneration, Local Area Climate Change Network, YoHr Space, Climate Change Board, Impacts, Vulnerability, Opportunities, CO2, NI188, NI186, NI185, NI187, Temperature, Rainfall, Extreme weather

Links:
[1] http://www.yourclimate.org/system/files/news_images/pluvial.jpg
[2] http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/pluvial-flooding-invisible-hazard
[3] mailto:josh.stott@jrf.org.uk
[4] http://www.jrf.org.uk
[5] http://www.yourclimate.org/topic/environment/biodiversity-natural-environment
[6] http://www.yourclimate.org/topic/infrastructure/planning-land-flood-defence
[7] http://www.yourclimate.org/topic/environment/greenhouse-gas-emissions-climate-change
[8] http://www.yourclimate.org/topic/environment
[9] http://www.yourclimate.org/topic/governance-civic-participation
[10] http://www.yourclimate.org/topic/infrastructure
[11] http://www.yourclimate.org/topic/quality-life