Guy Parker is a technical specialist in groundwater flooding from chalk aquifers with over 20 years experience in flood incident management. In this episode he shares his knowledge and provides a brilliant guide to how chalk works and the unique way it affects groundwater flooding.

A huge swathe of the UK sits on top of chalk aquifers and this is a key part of how the nation stays supplied with water. But, chalk reacts in very specific ways to water, and, with climate change affecting weather patterns, there are knock-on effects to the interaction between chalk, groundwater levels and flooding.

This episode is as knowledge-filled as it is fascinating. An essential listen for anyone involved with groundwater, flooding or water (and a genuinely revealing and thoroughly interesting listen for anyone who likes to understand "how things work"), Guy has a great way of making detailed scientific information very accessible.

From the chemical composition of chalk, to how it was formed, why pores and fractures matter... to stories of Guy on horseback earlier in his career following streams uphill to map the water table, this episode is engaging and insightful.

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To find out more about Project Groundwater, visit projectgroundwater.co.uk

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Every major project wants to create a legacy, but how is it done? Does it come about organically or should it be planned for and worked towards? If so, when is the right time to talk about it and what are the steps to deliver it?

Since - once a project ends - legacy will be what's left behind... shouldn't it be a vital part of any project's design?

What are some examples of legacy planning done well, and where has legacy not worked out as hoped for?

Flood risk planning has a particular emphasis on legacy, which is why it is something that Project Groundwater itself has valued and considered. Two of the architects of Project Groundwater's own legacy planning - Karen Fisher (Senior Associate Director, Jacobs) and Kat Edwards (Co-Founder, AxiaOrigin) join host Katie to discuss this often-overlooked subject.

If you'd like to find more about Project Groundwater's "Let's Talk" channels (as mentioned during this episode), go to letstalkgroundwaterflooding.org

Also talked about in the episode is the 'Slow The Flow: Pickering' project, which you can discover here. 

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To find out more about Project Groundwater, visit projectgroundwater.co.uk

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Sea level rise will be one of the consequences of climate change. It will change the delicate balance between fresh groundwater on the land side and salty sea water in the sea. 

What will be the implications for groundwater flooding, coastal communities and coastal ecosystems? How will existing and potential future built infrastructure flood defences react to and affect the changes that sea level rise will bring? Where are the gaps in knowledge and what are the challenges and opportunities in this area of research?

In this episode we bring together two great minds on either side of the Atlantic - both Xin Su and Daniel Magnone are involved in current cutting-edge research in this exact field - to share their insights and expertise. What results is a fascinating and informative discussion that moves this area of enquiry forward.

You can find out more about Xin Su and her research here.

Daniel Magnone contributed to this article in Hydrogeology Journal about the freshwater–saline interface in The Fens.

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To find out more about Project Groundwater, visit projectgroundwater.co.uk

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Vivian Quynh Pham is Knowledge and Benefits Lead at the Environment Agency for the 6-year £200 million Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovations Programme. Vivian supports 31 Risk Management Authority led projects across England to demonstrate how practical innovative actions can work to improve resilience to flooding and coastal erosion. This role involves harnessing huge amounts of data.

Vivian's varied background across arts, sciences, geography and engineering helps shape their approach that recognises the dual importance of quantitative and qualitative data. In this fascinating episode, host Katie and Vivian cover many areas of discussion including:

• Why data telling you the opposite from what you expect can be a good thing
• How to make the case for innovation before you have the data to support it
• How the processes and people behind data collection and analysis make a difference to its effectiveness
• The importance of scale when analysing patterns and making policy off the back of "what the data says"
• How Aboriginal Australians are a brilliant example of scientific observation, storytelling and wisdom working together

With data becoming more important in all sectors of work and society, this episode is not just an essential listen for those within the water, flooding and engineering worlds... its lessons, approaches and insights can be valuable for anyone in any sector.

Read the mid-programme report from the Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovations Programme here.

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To find out more about Project Groundwater, visit projectgroundwater.co.uk

Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Go to www.youtube.com/@GroundwaterRising

For groundwater flooding to progress from being under-researched and under-prioritised it will need to move the needle on policy, because policy - in a complex relationship with legislation and funding - is what actually gets stuff to happen. But how is policy instigated and how can it be harnessed? This episode aims to find out by talking to two experts with slightly different angles on policy and also featuring the case study of using beavers as a nature-based solution to flooding (and the current policy situation this approach finds itself in).

The two experts joining host Katie for this discussion are:

Hannah Coogan - the current CIWEM (Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management) President and Binnies Regional Delivery Director (Flood, Coast and Maritime). She has a wealth of experience in working within the policy-laden context of the water sector, plus has a very detailed knowledge of all the ways in which a professional membership body like CIWEM can influence policy.

Estelle Bailey - Chief Executive at Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust and a Trustee at UK Green Buildings Council. She has a deep understanding of the patience (and sometimes frustration) involved in trying to address gaps in policy. She also has experience of how to use the public opinion levers of NGO's (Non Governmental Organisations) to affect policy decisions that make a real positive difference on the issues that count with the general public.

Adding his experiences of a specific issue where policy has been on a long and winding road to implementation (the use of beavers as a natural flood control measure) is Mike Potter from Slow The Flow Pickering, a pilot project that has become a beacon of hope for supporters of nature-based solutions.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in finding out what is involved in truly moving the needle on policy.

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To find out more about Project Groundwater, visit projectgroundwater.co.uk

Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Go to www.youtube.com/@GroundwaterRising

Mike Cowdy and Nora Balboni from McGregor Coxall are working with Project Groundwater to create a framework for resilience in order to achieve the goal of making communities more resilient to groundwater flooding. In this episode they join host Katie to discuss how their work is progressing.

Among the many fascinating talking points are the philosophy of "bio-urbanism" and how a holistic non-silo approach to resilience is more likely to move us toward a reliable and useful framework.

Discover what the pillars (or "capitals") of resilience are, as proposed by Mike and Nora, from their research.

What potential do frameworks have to be transposed across communities and contexts? What about more practical challenges like who owns and maintains a framework? How does it fit into funding applications and current infrastructure, processes and community groups?

This episode grapples with some big issues but makes real progress toward defined  and useful insights into resilience that go beyond throwaway uses of the word or vague statements that we simply need to be "more resilient".

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To find out more about Project Groundwater, visit projectgroundwater.co.uk

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Greg Gomez (Software Developer, 3 Sided Cube) and Dr Jonathan Mackay (Hydrogeologist, British Geological Survey) talk to host Katie about the new Project Groundwater Flood Warning system they have built.

This new app shows exciting potential for what could be achieved nationally. Community hubs, action plans, alert states, detailed maps and forecasting all feature. Katie gets Greg and Jon to explain how the system works, what they did to develop and improve it and how systems like these could be a massive source of help and reassurance to individuals and communities in the future.

Basing this new system around groundwater flooding has provided plenty of challenges and opportunities that Greg and Jon explore over the course of this episode

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To find out more about Project Groundwater, visit projectgroundwater.co.uk

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Hilary Martin and Trevor Kippax from Marlow share their expertise in the positive difference that Flood Groups and Flood Wardens can make to local flood plans, community resilience and emergency response.

Whatever type of flooding happens in your area - groundwater or otherwise - local knowledge and support is vital. Local people know who lives where and what their needs are, plus they can spot the signs of a coming flood and will have an idea of how events could unfold. In an ideal world this local knowledge would be harnessed by the national agencies, water companies and emergency services... but it isn't always the case.

That's where flood groups and flood wardens can help. Hilary Martin and Trevor Kippax have real lived experiences of setting up and running flood groups and being flood wardens. In this episode they share their expertise. What works. What doesn't. Where the opportunities for improvement are and where they feel more thought and action is needed at a higher level.

This episode is an essential listen for anyone living in an area of flood risk (climate change is likely to make more of our areas vulnerable) to either start a flood group or improve the provision they already have.

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To find out more about Project Groundwater, visit projectgroundwater.co.uk

Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Go to www.youtube.com/@GroundwaterRising

Due to a calendar quirk (we release an episode on the last Thursday of each month), this episode publishes on Boxing Day... so we decided to make a bit of a different episode to get into the holiday spirit. Katie Hargrave-Smith is usually the host of 'Groundwater Rising' but for this episode the tables have turned and she's the guest.

It's a great chance to look back on a successful first 8 months for this podcast, which we're very happy to say is getting great feedback and growing steadily.

But what has Katie's experience been like? What made her want to start this podcast? What has been the reaction? How has it moved the conversation around groundwater - and groundwater flooding - forward? What has Katie learnt about podcasting, herself and groundwater flooding itself, along the way. And now the podcast is established and serving a real purpose, what does the future hold?

Thanks to Alex Beckett (Climate Change Programme and Partnership Manager at Buckinghamshire Council) for stepping in to presenter's role for this episode.

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To find out more about Project Groundwater, visit projectgroundwater.co.uk

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Flooding is in the news again as Storm Bert has wreaked havoc in various parts of the UK. We know that climate change makes storm events - and in turn, flooding - more likely. But, as ever... what about groundwater? Will climate change affect the occurrence and magnitude of groundwater flooding in the future?

Rachel May is a graduate water resources engineer at Jacobs and recently received a First Class Masters degree in Environmental Consultancy. Her Masters dissertation was all about how climate change will affect groundwater flooding. Since there is so little existing research in this area, her studies and methods were groundbreaking, and her work moves our collective understanding significantly forward. In this episode, Rachel shares her knowledge - the background, context and methods of her research, and, crucially... her conclusions.

We always like to receive and share flood stories from members of the community. This episode is the perfect timing to share Stephen Hodgson's story. His property was affected by flash flooding due to the type of storm event that will happen more frequently as a result of climate change.

Have a story you’d like to share on Groundwater Rising? 

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To find out more about Project Groundwater, visit projectgroundwater.co.uk

Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Go to www.youtube.com/@GroundwaterRising