Conatact: Namrata Bhattacharya-Mis Namrata.Bhattacharya-Mis@uwe.ac.uk
The concept of memory within the context of flooding is increasingly important as flood risk management policy and practice recognises the inevitable occurrence of flood events and the possibility that they will increase in frequency in the future. Memory research has previously focussed on isolated studies of a psycho-social nature, however, it is realized that to understand environmental, social, and economic contexts, with reference to memory of repeated physical stress, is equally important.
Repeated flood shock is one of the least researched phenomena associated with understanding the socio-economic dynamics in flood disaster but is acknowledged to be a significant factor in flood impacts. There is constant change in the level of exposure and vulnerability of the human and structural elements of the urban built environment as a result of the memory stored within the system partly due to repeated impacts of flood events.
The memory within, and its dynamics interrelated with, the complex socio-ecological system is therefore the main focus of this work package. In particular the research will explore subsystems of property economics, mental health, social capital, business vulnerability, insurance and property protection within repeatedly flooded environments and those vulnerable to frequent future flooding and coastal erosion.