Flood resilience project introduces talking lampposts to Yorkshire
Ousewem, an innovative flood resilience project, is helping community engagement efforts by enlisting the help of talking lampposts to raise awareness about natural flood management (NFM) in North Yorkshire.
Led by City of York Council, in collaboration with North Yorkshire Council, Ousewem aims to identify and deliver nature-based solutions (NbS), including NFM, to reduce flood risk in vulnerable North Yorkshire communities across Yorkshire’s Swale, Ure, Nidd, and Ouse (SUNO) river catchments.
As part of Ousewem’s community engagement strategy, initiatives will focus on public areas such as car parks and local pubs, distributing beer mats and signage to inform and engage farmers and residents about potential NFM projects while gathering community feedback.
The first phase of the project will see signs appearing in and around the Yorkshire Dales National Park, specifically around Hawes, Gayle and Hardraw, marking the beginning of an innovative approach to community engagement in flood resilience.
Talking about the project, Victoria Murray, Innovative Flood Resilience project manager at City of York Council said:
"We’re excited to introduce cutting-edge interactive technology to increase understanding of how water is impacting our local area and community."
Hello Lamp Post chief executive officer, Tiernan Mines, added:
"We are thrilled to embark on this new collaboration with Ousewem, led by City of York Council. Together, we look forward to addressing the critical issue of flood resilience in Yorkshire. This partnership represents a powerful commitment to community engagement and environmental stewardship, and we are excited about the positive impact we can make together.
"These interactive conversations are designed to evolve gradually over time, offering continuous educational materials, resources, and engagement opportunities," added Murray. "We’re encouraging everyone to keep an eye out for our talking signs when out and about!"
Related Content
City of London Corporation launches scheme to plug green skills gap
Extreme weather is already affecting homes and lives
- © Ocean Media Group