In a step to strengthen flood resilience in the region last week experts and stakeholders met to share skills.
More than 50 natural flood management (NFM) experts, land managers, and policymakers gathered in Kirkby Malham on Friday 11 April for the first Yorkshire NFM Community of Practice (CoP) Monitoring Skill Share – a practical and collaborative event designed to improve how we monitor NFM’s impact across the region.
Supported by Ousewem and the Environment Agency, the event brought together academics, consultants, and practitioners to share knowledge, test equipment, and explore how monitoring can drive better land management, funding decisions, and long-term resilience.
A shift from data collection to decision-making
From leaky dams in the Dales to river restoration in the Skell Valley, the morning presentations covered a wide range of real-world case studies – including Ousewem’s own approach, which blends landowner-led visual tools with technical data collection to feed into catchment-scale modelling.
Dr Steph Bond, Impact Translation Fellow at iCASP, said:
There’s often uncertainty around why data is being collected or what happens to it. This event helped shift the conversation from just collecting data to using it effectively.”
The afternoon offered hands-on demonstrations at a local site, where attendees used flow monitoring equipment and discussed practical challenges such as data storage, maintenance, and accessibility.
From learning to action
A pre-event survey revealed the wide variety of monitoring methods already in use – from drone footage to simple stage boards. Learning from the day will now feed into a shared resource for the Yorkshire NFM Community of Practice, including:
- An inventory of equipment and local support contacts
- Tips on setting up and maintaining kit
- A draft letter to Defra on improving monitoring support in future funding rounds
Mark Henderson, Flood Risk Manager at City of York Council, said:
We see monitoring not as a tick-box exercise, but as a decision-making tool that shapes investment, policy, and long-term resilience.
"Sponsoring this event reflects Ousewem’s commitment to evidence-led NFM – and to working openly with others to improve outcomes across the region.”
Cllr Jenny Kent, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency at City of York Council, added:
Nature-based solutions are central to York’s long-term climate resilience strategy.
"To unlock private and public investment in nature-based solutions, we need rigorous data and regional collaboration. Events like this skill share show the value of working collaboratively across sectors to build the evidence we need to invest with confidence. I’m proud that Ousewem, led by City of York Council, is helping to lead that charge.”
What’s next for Ousewem
The Skill Share is just one part of Ousewem’s broader investment in NFM evidence gathering. Upcoming initiatives include:
- The next in Ousewem’s video series exploring how monitoring can strengthen decision-making – featuring footage from the Skill Share event.
- Living Lab student research, such as Owain Wells’ study of how leaky dams influence upper catchment flows.
- Soil aeration trials in Crimple Beck upstream of Burn Bridge, where we’re inviting local farmers to explore how improved soil structure can boost water storage and flood resilience.
Get involved
Would you like to join a future NFM Community of Practice meeting or take part in our next trial?
Contact iCASP@leeds.ac.uk with ‘NFM Community of Practice’ in the subject line or reach out to Ousewem for more on our soil aeration initiative.
For more information or to explore collaboration opportunities, please contact the Ousewem team at ousewem@york.gov.uk.