A recent announcement from the UK Government about a new project which will harness technologies and real-time data to predict future flooding and droughts, shows how climate change is not only at the forefront of its agenda, but how technologies like climate sensors are becoming an essential technology to understanding future weather patterns.
What are climate sensors?
Climate sensors earn their name for the role they play in gathering data on environmental factors including temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, CO2 levels and sea levels. Depending on the parameters they monitor, they can take many forms; temperature sensors; CO2 sensors; and humidity sensors, for example. Scientists and researchers use this data to model climate systems, predict future changes and assess the impact of human activities on the environment, simply put.
Due to climate change, droughts and flooding are becoming more commonplace, and expected to increase in the coming years. Robust infrastructure is just as important as monitoring environmental conditions to paint a broader picture of future weather events.
Climate sensors are devices that have allowed scientists and researchers to detect any subtle shifts in climate patterns that may otherwise go unnoticed. Temperature sensors, for instance, have helped to establish a trend of rising global temperatures and provide empirical evidence that supports climate change models.
New project announced by government
The recently-announced project aims to help local authorities and the Environment Agency to tackle the cost of droughts and flooding: not only financial costs, as the UK Government estimates this is around £740 million a year, but also the impact on communities, homes and businesses. The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) department reported that five million people a year are affected by floods and droughts.
The Floods and Droughts Research Infrastructure, spearheaded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), and supported by £40 million in funding, marks the establishment of the UK’s first nationwide network dedicated to understanding the impacts of extreme weather conditions across the country. This initiative aims to identify where such events are most likely to occur and to develop strategies to mitigate their effects.
The intricate nature of Earth’s climate presents significant challenges in predicting floods and droughts, a task made even more complex by the ongoing impacts of climate change. To address these challenges, researchers will deploy cutting-edge technologies, including advanced sensors and real-time computer monitoring.
They will also utilise a vast reservoir of data, encompassing river profiles and near real-time information on atmospheric conditions, ground saturation, water movement, abstraction, and storage. By integrating these data sources, the project aims to generate a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of where and when extreme weather events may strike.
Researchers involved in this project will be based at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology offices across Great Britain, with additional contributions from experts at the British Geological Survey, the University of Bristol, and Imperial College London.
Knowledge-sharing
The insights gained from this research will be shared with key organisations, including the Environment Agency, to inform the UK’s response to extreme weather. The project will also serve as a hub for researchers to pursue new innovations, with findings disseminated globally, positioning the UK as a leader in this critical field.
Peter Kyle, the Secretary for Science and Technology, said that climate change was “sadly” making these weather events more common. “This project will help drive that progress, with dedicated teams using the most advanced tech to crunch data gathered from our rivers and paint a clear picture of its likely impact – using the power of science and tech to keep the public safe.”
The new initiatives build upon the government’s £5.6 billion investment in flood defences between 2021 and 2027, which includes over 100 coastal risk management projects aimed at protecting thousands of people and properties from flooding caused by the sea, rivers, and reservoirs.
In addition a new Flood Resilience Taskforce will soon be launched to speed up the delivery of new flood defences, drainage systems, and natural flood management schemes.
This funding includes a NERC-sponsored project that links the frequency and intensity of storms over Northern Europe through mathematical models, enabling more accurate pricing of storm-related risks. Additionally, the Lisflood-FP computer model, developed by the University of Bristol, has assisted over one million Zambian farmers in insuring against drought risks through daily rainfall estimates across Africa.
Another team at the University of Bristol has pioneered the development of high-resolution flood prediction models, leading to the creation of Fathom, a spin-out company with an annual turnover exceeding £4 million. Fathom’s work includes protecting infrastructure valued at over $1 trillion by improving flood risk management in the UK and globally.
“Earth’s changing climate means the number of extreme floods and droughts will increase in the UK, impacting homes, businesses and services. But predicting their location and measuring their intensity and impact needs the sort of scientific advances that this programme will bring to overcome the data and analytical constraints that are currently very challenging,” said Professor Louise Heathwaite, Executive Chair of NERC. “The project will transform the way we understand the impact of these events by building a significant bank of data and improving our monitoring capability, and so helping to protect those affected.”
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