Hull’s flood-resilient future brought to life with Living With Water game

Residents across Hull and the East Riding can help shape flood resilience measures in their communities, thanks to a new interactive game that has been developed by Living With Water.

The game enables players to choose from a selection of sustainable drainage solutions (SuDS), then drag and drop them onto well-known local street scenes, to design their own flood resilience schemes.

Each option chosen will be scored on its flood benefits, sustainability and cost, to determine the most effective solutions that will reduce flood risk, are environmentally friendly and be the most cost effective to install, so can be used more widely.

The recently-launched game will be available to play at Living With Water’s summer engagement events – dates and locations here.

Emma Brown, Strategic Partnership Manager and General Manager, Living With Water, commented:

“Hull is the second biggest flood risk area in the UK, as it sits in a basin of low-lying land, below sea level. Globally, intense storms are becoming more frequent, so enhancing the region with SuDS will help reduce the risk in the future.

“Our Blue-Green Vision involves exploring opportunities to manage water effectively for the future of Hull and the East Riding. A key part of this vision is co-creation – working together with Hull and East Riding residents to find out what SuDS they’d like to see in their communities.

“This game will enable us to gather insights on what people want to see, which will help us develop and refine our plans for SuDS projects across our area. It features some familiar street scenes – in Derringham, Drypool, Orchard Park, Rosmead Street and Bilton. We’re encouraging those who see us out and about at summer events to come along and play the game – picking their SuDs carefully to protect their location and become Hull’s latest hydro hero!”

Living With Water is a partnership between Yorkshire Water, Environment Agency, Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the University of Hull and aims to help build understanding across Hull and the East Riding about the threats and opportunities water brings to our region.