Rising waters | Rooted solutions
From upstream to downstream: how catchments connect communities
Watch and read about the latest video in our film series "From upstream to downstream" explaining how flood risk and water quality are shaped across whole river catchments, and more.
River flood risk does not start in one place. Rivers connect landscapes, land use and communities across entire catchments. What happens upstream can influence communities many miles downstream.
A river catchment is the area of land where water drains into the same river system, linking places and communities through the movement of water.
Understanding how river catchments influence flood risk is an important part of managing flooding more effectively.Yet these connections are not always easy to explain. Flooding is often experienced locally, while the processes shaping risk can sit across a much wider landscape.
River catchments link together farms, towns and rivers across large areas. Water moves through this system regardless of administrative boundaries or land ownership. That means managing flood risk requires cooperation across places and communities.
Approaches such as natural flood management work with these wider catchment processes. Measures upstream can help slow the movement of water through the landscape while supporting habitats and water quality.
But catchment approaches only work when people understand how the system connects.
The short film below explores these ideas through the perspectives of people working with rivers and flood risk.
It features:
- Dr Marie Taylor, Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust
- Steve Wragg, City of York Council
Together they reflect on why shared understanding matters if communities upstream and downstream are to manage flood risk across the whole catchment.
Key ideas in this film:
- Flood risk is shaped by whole river catchments
- Upstream and downstream communities are connected
- Understanding catchment systems helps support better decisions
- Natural flood management works as part of a wider catchment approach
This video is a part of the Ousewem film series exploring how evidence, modelling and community understanding support better flood risk decision-making.
Watch the full Ousewem video series here.
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