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EAM4 - Benchmarking Tests in Operational Flood Hydrology
Project overview
The methods used for operational flood risk estimation and hydrological modelling need to be applicable at different scales, across multiple sources of flooding, and in a changing climate. This is necessary for the design of flood risk management solutions and for providing a flood warning service. As new and alternative methods are developed, it is essential to assess their scientific validity, consistency and practicality before considering them for operational use in the UK.
This project will develop a benchmarking framework to aid the section of best practicable flood hydrology methods for operational practise in the UK. The framework will include tools for evaluating both the performance and usefulness of existing and new methods for operational flood hydrology. The framework will provide a clear pathway to adoption for researchers and developers, allowing them to use the tests to assess new hydrological methods.
**Latest Update - October 2024**
We are now in the alpha phase.
During this phase we will use prototypes to test how we might solve the problems we identified in discovery. These prototypes are designed to have enough content to test and confirm whether the idea will succeed, and if that isn’t the case then we can change approach and try something else without having lost significant investment.
We have started to scope and gather requirements for a prototype benchmarking process that we can test and develop further based on feedback.
There is a huge amount of exciting work to do in the alpha phase of the project, we want to focus on the areas we think will be most challenging and test our riskiest assumptions first - alpha is a chance to explore new approaches.
Whilst we don’t yet know how many prototypes we’ll need or how long it’ll take us to agree the best idea to take forward into the beta phase, where we’ll start building the benchmarking solution for real, we do know we’re going to need wider help to do it over the anticipated 24 months to project completion.
Our project will:
Create a system for benchmarking alternative operational flood hydrology methods.
Incorporate a set of accessible tests, data, and metrics for quantifying the performance of flood hydrology methods.
Review the performance of currently operational flood hydrology methods.
How our project is improving flood hydrology:
The proposed benchmarking system will provide an objective, quantified approach for the consistent assessment of the performance of flood hydrology methods, including measures of practicality ('usefulness') for operational use in the UK.
The system will be an enabler for the ongoing development of new methods to meet emerging operational user needs.
The new system will also be used to support the delivery of the FHIP projects about new methods in operational hydrology (EAM7/8).
How our project is contributing to the UK Flood Hydrology Roadmap:
The UK Flood Hydrology Roadmap will be realised through 31 actions grouped into 4 thematic work areas of ways of working, data, methods and scientific understanding. Eight actions have been identified to improve methods in UK flood hydrology related to improving flood hydrology methods, models and systems.
This project will contribute to the methods strand action:
M1 - benchmark hydrological models.
Who we are working with
Project overview
The methods used for operational flood risk estimation and hydrological modelling need to be applicable at different scales, across multiple sources of flooding, and in a changing climate. This is necessary for the design of flood risk management solutions and for providing a flood warning service. As new and alternative methods are developed, it is essential to assess their scientific validity, consistency and practicality before considering them for operational use in the UK.
This project will develop a benchmarking framework to aid the section of best practicable flood hydrology methods for operational practise in the UK. The framework will include tools for evaluating both the performance and usefulness of existing and new methods for operational flood hydrology. The framework will provide a clear pathway to adoption for researchers and developers, allowing them to use the tests to assess new hydrological methods.
**Latest Update - October 2024**
We are now in the alpha phase.
During this phase we will use prototypes to test how we might solve the problems we identified in discovery. These prototypes are designed to have enough content to test and confirm whether the idea will succeed, and if that isn’t the case then we can change approach and try something else without having lost significant investment.
We have started to scope and gather requirements for a prototype benchmarking process that we can test and develop further based on feedback.
There is a huge amount of exciting work to do in the alpha phase of the project, we want to focus on the areas we think will be most challenging and test our riskiest assumptions first - alpha is a chance to explore new approaches.
Whilst we don’t yet know how many prototypes we’ll need or how long it’ll take us to agree the best idea to take forward into the beta phase, where we’ll start building the benchmarking solution for real, we do know we’re going to need wider help to do it over the anticipated 24 months to project completion.
Our project will:
Create a system for benchmarking alternative operational flood hydrology methods.
Incorporate a set of accessible tests, data, and metrics for quantifying the performance of flood hydrology methods.
Review the performance of currently operational flood hydrology methods.
How our project is improving flood hydrology:
The proposed benchmarking system will provide an objective, quantified approach for the consistent assessment of the performance of flood hydrology methods, including measures of practicality ('usefulness') for operational use in the UK.
The system will be an enabler for the ongoing development of new methods to meet emerging operational user needs.
The new system will also be used to support the delivery of the FHIP projects about new methods in operational hydrology (EAM7/8).
How our project is contributing to the UK Flood Hydrology Roadmap:
The UK Flood Hydrology Roadmap will be realised through 31 actions grouped into 4 thematic work areas of ways of working, data, methods and scientific understanding. Eight actions have been identified to improve methods in UK flood hydrology related to improving flood hydrology methods, models and systems.
This project will contribute to the methods strand action:
We really want to deliver the Flood Hydrology Improvements Programme with the hydrological community so if you would like to be involved or to hear more then please get in touch with the team
