Social and political dynamics of flood risk, recovery and response: A report on the findings of the winter floods project

This report sets out key insights and findings from a major research project focussed on the social and political dynamics of flood events. The research sought to understand the evolution of responses to floods in the aftermath of a major event and the implications for longer-term flood management. The project examined perceptions and experiences of members of the
public affected by flooding and those with professional responsibility for flood risk management, policy, and practice.

The report offers the following recommendations:

• There is a need to improve the quality of the political debate in the aftermath of floods and work to ensure that expectations are negotiated between and across communities affected and institutions with responsibilities.
• There is a role for institutions in ensuring social infrastructures are in place that can effectively support the emergence and maintenance of social resilience.
• There is a need to embed more strategic processes for decision-making about funding and resilient rebuilding in postflood contexts to facilitate responses that will reduce the impacts of flood events in future.