Presentation by Dr Catherine Butler entitled ‘Exploring the dynamics o change in the aftermath of crisis: The case of the 2013/14 winter floods’. Given at the Royal Geographical Society’s annual conference (with IBG), Exeter, 2015.

1. Dr Catherine Butler
&
Dr Kate Walker-Springett

2.  Major UK floods; 1947; 1952/3; 1973;
1998; 2000; 2004; 2007; 2012;
2013/14
 At risk: 5.2 million homes
 Cost: £1.1 billion / €1.54 billion
annually in flood damages
 UK climate projections - increased
flood events
 Imperatives for long-term adaptation

3.  Previous research has theorised that
events offer opportunity for change
(Kingdon, 1995; Baumgartner and
Jones, 1993) as assemblages of
publics, knowledge and politics are
brought into being (Whatmore and
Landstrom, 2011)
 Flood events have been identified as
catalysts for the transformation of
environmental policy and human
behaviour (Johnson et al. 2004;
2005; Spence et al. 2011)
 Little research looking in-depth at
the processes of response as they
happen and over time
 Role of major flood events in
providing impetus for longer term
adaptations to climate change
across scales (national government
– individuals)
Photograph by Matilda Temperley

4.  Well established links between
blue space and wellbeing (Voelker
and Kistemann, 2011; 2013;
White, 2010)
 Strong evidence for the negative
impact of floods on psychological
health (Tapsell and Tunstall, 2001;
2008; Reacher et al. 2004 )
 Less longitudinal research
 Role of individual and community
resilience
Photograph by Matilda Temperley

5.  How do processes of response
in the aftermath of flood events
determine the extent of change
and continuity in public policy,
FRM practice and citizen action?
 What are the implications over
the longer-term and for climate
change adaptation?
 How do floods impact on
wellbeing over time?
 What is the role of ‘community’
in supporting resilience to
environmental change?

6. Winter Floods
2013/14

7. In-depth longitudinal research
– Somerset case study
Semi-structured interviews
with flood affected public and
flood professionals (n=109),
Aug-Oct 2014 & April-May
2015
Two discussion workshops
with flood affected public and
flood professionals (June
2015)
Locally representative survey
of two flood affected areas –
Somerset and Boston
(n=1000), June 2015
Photograph by Matilda Temperley

9.  Major social divisions in the
aftermath of the flooding –
between authorities and flood
affected people (within and
between communities)
 The research highlights how these
were, in part, underpinned by
differences in ways of viewing the
problem and the causesSTOP THE
FLOODING
DREDGE THE
RIVERS!

10. “So if you’re looking for the causes
of the floods, the cause of the
flood was that it rained a lot.
Simply that.”
SH5 Conservation Organisation
“That area floods every year
anyway, it’s just that it flooded to a
greater extent because there was
more rain.”
SH19 Engineering Consultancy

11. “So this time of year … you
would see large tractors and
dredging machines cleaning all
the rhyne system out, which
meant the water could get
away to at least the pumping
station ... That ceased about 15
years ago and most of the
ditches are overgrown and not
really cleaned out very much,
and the Department of
Environment just kind of
crossed them off their list, I
think.” P25
“This land has been managed since Roman times, and since the founding
the inauguration or whatever it is of the Environment Agency, it's just
stopped. Nobody voted for it being stopped, it was very undemocratic.” P4

13. “The council has the 20 year plan now and
that’s looking forward at what they can do at
each stage but that’s very dependent on
getting money for it and also having the
political will…” P20
“I think there is just the beginnings now, of a rebuilding of a kind of wider
stakeholder approach and one of the things I think is worth dwelling on, is
how that happens now in the face of smaller government, so a much more
blended leadership or stakeholder approach across both government
agencies, state money but also civil society.”
SH12 non-governmental organisation

14. They get money from government
and they did dredging and I personally
don't know whether the dredging in
itself was money well spent, I'm no
engineer but it’s been done, I'm sure
the capacity of the river is increased
but there’s probably lots of other
things that could have been done,
which weren’t but they respond to the
loud voice of the popular mob, don’t
they? Well they did. P27
“There's virtually no
recognition of climate change
at all. That could alter the
picture quite drastically and
alter the whole sustainability
of the levels and moors and
the way it is currently
managed. But that has not
been incorporated in the 20
Year Plan. There doesn’t
seem to be any push or any
appetite for factoring in
climate change and looking at
the long term picture”.
SH23 Government body

15.  Event offered an opportunity for
scrutiny of government action and
citizen engagement
 Highly stressful, emotionally
changed periods after floods
 Closing down of debate and efforts
to address immediate issues,
rather than providing impetus for
longer-term adaptations

16.  Wellbeing detrimentally effected
consistent with previous research
 Longer-term effects evident
 Secondary stressors, curtailed
futures, loss of home and sense of
place, anxiety about water and
rain
 Wellbeing and emotional effects
not limited to those that have been
directly affected or flooded
 Importance of community support
during floods but dissipates over
time

17.  Complete analysis to be
undertaken Sept – Feb
 Feb/March 2016 key findings
report
The Many Faces of Flooding: Science,
Policy, Art
Alumni Auditorium

18. Photograph by Matilda Temperley