Millions for Research to Prevent Floods

The University of Gävle has been awarded a total of 2.6 million SEK from the Knowledge Foundation for a research project aimed at preventing the effects of floods and heavy rainfall. The research will be conducted in collaboration with two private companies, which are contributing an additional 2.9 million SEK in co-financing.

There is ample evidence that climate change is leading to more natural disasters. Rising temperatures increase the likelihood of droughts and fires, but also increase humidity— leading to more frequent and intense downpours and a higher risk of flooding.

Protection Against Downpours and Flooding

Researchers at the University of Gävle have long studied the effects of river flooding, known as flood modeling, to identify areas at risk. Over the next four years, the new project will develop flood research further and create methods to protect the community from the effects of downpours. This will be done in collaboration with the companies Geographical Information Bureau and NOAQ Flood Protection, which are also co-financing the project.

"We need to improve society's resilience to downpours and flooding, which are becoming an increasing problem. The goal is to develop better flood models and improve existing technical solutions, and the collaboration with the companies is essential for the project's success," says project manager Anders Brandt, Associate Professor of Geospatial Information Science at the University of Gävle.

"Bringing Us Closer to the University"

NOAQ Flood Protection has developed several products that can be used during floods, including a mobile flood barrier as an alternative to sandbags.

"We want to help make our society more resilient to floods. We see this project as a great opportunity not only to develop our own products but also to explore how the products can influence planning for flood response," says CEO Sigurd Melin.

The Geographical Information Bureau develops methods for using geographical information systems to predict water flows during downpours.

"This project is a way to bring those of us in the industry closer to the university, so that everyone involved can benefit more from what we do. We will be able to share knowledge and strengthen each other," says the company's founder, Greger Lindeberg.