Why are we working with Hull Young Peoples Parliament?
The Hull Young Peoples Parliament (HYPP) aim is to create a world in which every young person is empowered to create social and political change. As Living with Water, we want to ensure we get a diverse range of opinions from the community of Hull in regard to the implementation of SuDS and the Blue-Green vision.
Therefore, working in collaboration with the HYPP means we have access to the opinions of another demographic. The event was attended by a range of primary and secondary schools located in Hull, their age range is between 11-18 (with a small group being aged between 18-24 each having a disability of some form).
Our Flood Manifesto
From working through a series of activities several key themes have been highlighted by the HYPP as areas that need to be addressed to make Hull and its people more resilient to flooding.
Firstly, the young people were asked how they would feel during a flood event. The word cloud below gives an overview of their responses. With the words that appear to most in the answers being the largest. This visual shows how important it is to increase the people of Hulls resilience to flooding.
The following is a collection of the students’ thoughts and ideas on how Hull can become more resilient to the impacts of flooding.
Aid and Support:
Financial
Financial support is key to helping the people of Hull bounce back from a flood event. Support could be given in the form of:
- Charitable donations to those affected by flooding
- Loans provided by the government to aid recovery
- Advice and guidance on gaining the correct flood insurance
Emotional
The emotional wellbeing of those affected by flooding must be considered, they could be aided by:
- Counselling for those traumatised by the flood
- Community support groups set up in the areas affected
Education & Raising Awareness:
Educating those at risk of flooding about how they can prepare themselves for a flood but also what individual things they can do to reduce the risk of flooding is key.
The community should be educated on the following:
- The importance of having an emergency flood plan in place, in both homes and schools
- How to prepare a flood kit bag
- How to use water more efficiently
- How to ensure you’re getting the correct flood warnings and alerts
Education should be implemented through the following:
- Workshops at all school levels and within the community
- Provision of a flooding preparation manual
- Through information billboards
Future Thinking:
Planning how the city of Hull will develop into the future is key to increasing its resilience to flooding
Infrastructure
- Following a flood homes and other buildings need to be repaired properly
- Housing should be improved to be less affected by flooding
Sustainable urban drainage systems
- Increase the use of soft engineering to mitigate flooding
- SuDS are key to making Hull more resilient to flooding; green roofs, permeable paths, swales, and rainwater harvesting are all popular options.
Green up the city
Increasing the amount of green space in Hull will help with the risk of flooding but also make the city a more enjoyable place to live, ideas on how to green up the city are as follows:
- Turning old impermeable wastelands into green areas
- Increasing the number of trees and plants
- Create more green spaces that can be used for leisure
When asked how together we can make Hull more resilient to flooding this is how Hull Young Peoples Parliament responded.
