Carlisle ESRI (UK)
Keeping our heads above water
Following the Pitt Review of last summer's floods, ESRI (UK) Government Strategist, Keith Wishart, suggests how geographic information systems could be used to help implement Pitt's 92 recommendations
Geographic Information (GI) is widely used to support flood prevention, and more could be done in line with the recommendations of the Pitt Report. However the situation is complicated by a number of factors in both the public and private sectors.
Better use of GI – What are the opportunities?
The Pitt Report's recommendation to share data is a huge opportunity for better use of GI. One method might be to combine data from different websites. The government seems to be responding positively to this idea. For example, the Treasury's "Power of Information" Review encourages departments to expose their information sources in a readable form so that data from different departments can be combined easily.
Combined data
Many organisations have never overlaid flood data on their key assets, either because of the institutional barriers in getting the data, a lack of time and resources or simply because they did not know this is possible. Overlays and maps from combined data are probably the most easily achievable uses of GI an organisation could pursue. For example, simply overlaying the location of emergency and evacuation centres or A&E departments on flood data can inform the planning process.
Analysis and Planning
Simply overlaying flood plains and organisational assets can be eye-opening, but GIS can do a whole lot more. Recently, the public sector has started following commercial organisations in using customer profile data. These types of analyses could easily be deployed in a flooding scenario. For example, a local authority could use Census data to better understand the impact of flooding on vulnerable groups in society.
Earlier this year the Government identified the need to manage its assets more effectively. The Government has also published the National Asset Register detailing all £1m-plus assets. These are literally scattered the length and breadth of the country: Government buildings, the trunk road network, Stonehenge etc. The Government must allocate the appropriate level of funds to maintain, operate and value these assets. Current asset valuations take little account of the impact of flooding, yet this entire register lends itself to be mapped and assessed.
Manage and Respond
GIS is currently used by first-line responders when reacting to a flood event. However, in many cases the limiting factor is disseminating an up-to-date Common Operational Picture (COP) to borrow a military term. Obtaining current aerial photography is not generally possible and so the importance of simple mobile data capture tools becomes elevated. The military has employed exactly these solutions and there is no reason why these could not be more widely deployed.
The second component is then disseminating information to all stakeholders. Pitt recommends that Local Authorities take the lead via their contact centres. However, research last year by ESRI (UK) shows that while some local authorities have developed a GI capability in their contact centres, many still have a long way to go. The Pitt Report also recommends that Local Authorities enhance their technical capabilities for local flood risk management and this as an opportunity for these organisations to make the business case for better GIS.
New uses
The above examples are readily achievable, but there are innovative uses of geographic information and technology which illustrate the "art of the possible".
3D visualisation and analysis is a growing area of GIS with a wide range of applications including radio mast planning, CCTV camera placement, military and other uses. ESRI (UK) has recently completed a project to create a 3D model of the buildings in a number of UK cities using height data fused with Ordnance Survey MasterMap building footprints. This offers flood modellers a completely new level of granularity: a building is no longer categorised as flooded or not but the impact of the flood in terms of its depth within the building can be modelled.
Bringing it all together
Geography plays a vital role in delivering the outcomes of the Pitt Report. The common perception is that this means flood maps – but the potential for using geography is far greater when seen as a tool for analysing data and predicting future outcomes. From combining data to get answers to new questions, to taking innovative approaches to measure urban creep, geography can help us keep our heads above water.
Keith Wishart, Government Strategist, ESRI (UK)
