SNIFFER

1
SNIFFERS ROLE IN FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT

• Fiona Mactaggart
• Research Manager

2
SNIFFER background

• SNIFFER aims to improve knowledge to protect our
  environment
• Funded by five members
• Scottish Executive
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency
• Scottish Natural Heritage
• Environment and Heritage Service
• Forestry Commission
• Additional collaborative income at a topic and
  project level

3
Current topic areas

• Implementation of Water Framework Directive
• Urban environment
• Land quality
• Air quality
• Programme of UK environmental regulation research
• Climate change
• Flood risk management

4
FRM service background

• Scottish Executives Environment Group
  commissioned SNIFFER to provide a research and
  knowledge management service in relation to flood
  risk management (FRM).
• Funding from August 2004 to August 2006.
• On behalf of Scottish stakeholders.

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FRM service aims

1. Develop knowledge, understanding and awareness of
   flood risk management research programmes and
   initiatives in the UK and EU
2. Develop a flood risk management research agenda
   for Scotland
3. Ensure that Scotlands research agenda and
   priorities are represented within UK and EU
   research programmes and initiatives through
   communication with key research funders
4. Provide a knowledge management service with a
   policy focus
5. Commission and effectively manage flood risk
   management research and
6. Interpret, disseminate and communicate flood risk
   management research findings to the Scottish
   Executive and within Scotland.

6
FRM service delivery mechanisms

• RISE website www.sniffer.org.uk/rise
• Steering group.
• Research programme.
• Liaison and potential future collaboration with
  other research funders.
• Providing support to the Scottish Executives
  input to the Flood Risk Management Consortium
  (FRMC) CRUE ERA-NET.

7
RISE websitewww.sniffer.org.uk/rise

• Research Information Service for Flood Risk
  Management (RISE)

8
FRM steering group membership

• David Seaman, Scottish Executive
• David Faichney, SEPA
• David Howell, SNH
• Alasdair Smith, Aberdeenshire Council (to be
  confirmed)
• Mike Donaghy / Andrea Johnstonov, Scottish
  Environment Link
• Alistair Dyer, Scottish Water
• John Clarke, Rivers Agency
• Fiona Mactaggart, SNIFFER

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FRM steering group remit

• To provide strategic direction and advice to
  SNIFFERs Research Manager to ensure that
• the developing Scottish FRM research agenda
  reflects and addresses the needs of Scottish
  stakeholders and
• SNIFFER effectively communicates FRM research
  findings and information to Scottish
  stakeholders.

10
FRM steering group next steps

• Initial FRM steering group meeting on 27 April
  to
• agree terms of reference, and
• approach to development of Scottish FRM research
  agenda.
• Development of research agenda
• will build on recommendations from existing
  documents and
• is likely to include stakeholder workshops to
  identify research needs/gaps.
• Limited core funding available aim to secure
  collaborative income from stakeholders.

11
FRM research programme

• Programme will deliver the research agenda
  identified under the FRM steering group.
• To include seminars and workshops as well as
  commissioning research.
• Already two SNIFFER projects
• Broad scale ecosystem impact modelling (BSEIM)
  toolbox Scotland
• Assessing the benefits of flood warning

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BSEIM toolbox Scotland project

• Aims to develop a toolbox containing best
  practice guidance in data collation and ecosystem
  impact prediction using current available
  techniques.
• Toolbox will assist with ensuring that those
  involved in flood management, river basin and
  development planning in Scotland adopt a
  consistent approach when assessing and
  considering ecosystem impacts.

13
Flood warning project

• Review and assessment of available methods for
  assessing the socio-economic and environmental
  benefits of flood warning operations generally,
  and of specific schemes.
• If existing methods are unsatisfactory/
  insufficient, a new method may be developed.

14
Support Flood Risk Management Research
Consortium (FRMRC)

• EPSRC funded Consortium.
• Collaborative income from Scottish Executive,
  Defra, Environment Agency, Rivers Agency, NERC
  UKWIR.
• 4 year programme of research (2004-2008) worth
  over 5 million.
• Over 70 individuals involved in different
  university departments.

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Support Flood Risk Management Research
Consortium (FRMRC)

• To combine the strengths of blue skies and
  targeted end-user research, delivering outputs
  which will result in a reduction of flood risk in
  the UK.
• www.floodrisk.org.uk

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SupportCRUE ERA-NETwww.crue-eranet.net

• Co-ordination of FRM research in the EU
• Scottish Executive part funding.
• Aims to
• Develop strategic integration of FRM research at
  the national funding and policy development
  levels within Europe.
• Provide knowledge and understanding for the
  sustainable management of flooding risks at the
  river basin and coastal process cell scale.

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FIAC and SNIFFER

• FIAC offer advice on taking forward the National
  Flooding Framework
• SNIFFER research and knowledge management
• SNIFFER can support the work of FIAC by
• Providing knowledge on the EU and UK research
  agendas
• Managing research to address any identified
  knowledge gaps.

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Further information

• SNIFFERs research manager, Fiona Mactaggart
  (fiona_at_sniffer.org.uk)
• RISE website www.sniffer.org.uk/rise