Strategy Update - Understanding Risk around the Humber

The Humber 2100+ project team have now completed the technical work for Step 1 (Understand Risk) of the project and presented the full set of outputs to partners. The 'Understand Risk' step is about building a solid foundation of evidence to create an accurate picture of future tidal flood risk around the Humber – essentially ensuring a common understanding of the challenge we face.

The outputs were presented for partner 'endorsement' via a summary report and a detailed evidence pack in January. 9 of the 11 local authority partners in the project, and the Environment Agency, have now formally endorsed the outputs, (including the picture of risk, the methodology and data behind them). We are confident that formal endorsement from the remaining partners will follow very shortly. This is a key milestone for the project as these outputs will form the basis for understanding strategic flood risk across the Humber going forwards. They will inform Step 2 of the project, as well as shaping our ongoing investment on the ground. Having positive endorsement from all partners means that we will be able to work together on an adaptive approach to managing tidal risk across the interconnected estuary system.

Work is now underway to begin Step 2, with a number of key areas of work progressing. These include a governance review; consideration of the evidence required to ‘agree approaches’ for managing tidal flood risk; and reflections on the lessons learned from Step 1. The partnership is also working on ways to present the Step 1 outputs to the wider public.