What is FDRI and why does it matter?

We need smarter monitoring to help us prepare for floods and droughts

Monitoring how water moves through the landscape allows us to create hydrological models, crucial for water research and management. But, we know the hydrological community faces real challenges in getting and understanding the data needed to generate models.

Funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, FDRI is filling the gaps in how we understand and act on floods and droughts through:

  • Innovative, cost-effective monitoring, generating high-resolution, near real-time hydrological data, at a whole-system level
  • Consolidated nation-wide datasets
  • Targeted training and development for the hydrological community
  • Open air laboratories to test future monitoring approaches

Providing the insights we need to underpin better prediction, risk management and mitigation decisions, protecting UK communities and saving money. 

What will FDRI insights enable?

Hydrological modelling
Improved accuracy in early warning systems
Data to calibrate, benchmark and create models which better protect communities, agriculture and industry.
Caution flooding sign
Research which delivers resilience
Tools for researchers to better understand catchment responses in extremes, informing innovation in mitigation and adaptation.
Wetland at sunset
Evidence for water management solutions
Insights to test, evidence and verify the efficacy of solutions, from natural flood management to AI optimisation of water use in farming.

Q&A

Who can use FDRI - and what is the hydrological community?

FDRI is an open access project: the digital platform and mobile monitoring equipment will be available to all, for free. Due to space and equipment restrictions, we are working through how we provide access to mobile monitoring equipment and FDRI monitoring sites efficiently.

The hydrological community consists of everyone with an interest in floods and droughts, from researchers, to local governments and citizen scientists. Within this community, we expect primary users of FDRI to be:

  • Hydrologists who use environmental data and monitoring equipment in their day to day roles. This includes for modelling and analysis in research, understanding risks and management of hydrological extremes.
  • Students and teachers, from postgraduate level to secondary schools. Institutions and individuals will be welcome to use FDRI for training purposes. This includes using physical sites for field trips, alongside data and interfaces on the digital platform for projects.
  • Monitoring innovators, who are interested in developing and testing new ways of understanding water, from research to industry contexts.
  • Regulators, national and local governments, steering decisions with insights directly from and enabled by FDRI, to strengthen responses to extremes. 

 

when will FDRI be delivered?

All our outputs will be completed by 2029. We are currently in the implementation phase of FDRI, from 2024 to 2029, with data, capacity building and monitoring equipment in delivery. 

Implementation delivery timeline 

[updates tbc - to be decided in new year]

Phases timeline

FDRI phases diagram

 

 

 

 

Where are the FDRI observatories?

Three complementary catchments (the land around a river that collects rain) were selected, encompassing common characteristics and challenges faced in flood and drought scenarios across the UK.

Find out more about the catchments here. [observatory pages to be updated]

who has a say in FDRI's design?

The FDRI team ran a scoping study, commissioned and funded by UKRI to determine requirements and rationale for the research infrastructure. 

  • Over 780 individuals across the hydrological community were consulted
  • We used structured workshops and surveys to understand user needs
  • You can read the full report here 

We continue to gather the community's views into the implementation phase, especially to build catchment monitoring designs within the observatories and understand user needs and experience for the digital platform. 

How can I get involved?

Visit our get involved page here to find out more about current events and opportunities.