Research and innovation forms a key part of our culture, allowing our teams to provide a diverse range of services and expertise, whilst also developing innovative solutions to support societal resilience to climate change. This is something we embrace across our disciplines, but it’s through our Marine and Coastal Risk Management (MCRM) services that we’re seeking to lead the way on the next generation of coastal modelling.
Our Marine and Coastal Risk Management service aims to be research-led and provide our clients with exceptional service when understanding the complex problems that exist in our coastal systems. To achieve this, we have recognised that the scale and pace at which we use advanced numerical modelling needs to increase. Key to this will be collaboration and engaging with key industry stakeholders to develop a two-way process for feedback and development - allowing us to push the boundaries of our services.
With the realisation that we can no longer defend against climate change impacts, the industry is transitioning away from fixed management solutions to more flexible and inclusive adaptation and resilience strategies. Adaptive pathways are all about understanding risk, understanding how risk is going to change over time, continuously monitoring the factors that affect risk and whether you are getting the benefits from the mitigations you put in place.
Are your five or ten year strategies still relevant or do you need to adapt them?
Answering such questions underlines the requirement for smarter modelling, capable of supporting multiple uses, at any spatial scale. Addressing this challenge will require a revitalised approach to numerical modelling, and this is something we’re embracing by working towards a five-year roadmap for coastal numerical model development.
Underpinned by the following objectives, our five-year roadmap will:
- Increase our clients understanding of coastal hazards through improved physics
- Use research advancements to represent critical processes and operate efficiently at a range of spatial scales
- Support the advancement of Flood Forecasting, Warning and Incident Management, Coastal Engineering and Coastal and Marine Ecology
Developing coastal adaptation and resilience strategies
The creation of a next generation coastal modelling suite will be the starting point for the progression of a wider framework that will enable effective development of coastal adaptation and resilience strategies. This should be capable of not only representation of physical processes, but integration of changes to the coastal system through time. Overall, it will aim to serve as the primary engine to develop, test, and evaluate these coastal resilience and adaptation strategies.
Guided by our vision of developing a model that is applicable at all scales of coastal hydro-morphodynamic modelling, year one of the research has seen our team make excellent progress.
For more information about our Next Generation Coastal Flood Modelling work, please contact Doug Pender.
An innovation supported by JBA Labs
Next Generation Coastal Flood Modelling is an innovation supported by JBA Labs. Through JBA Labs we’re accelerating the pace, the efficiency and the scale at which we innovate - delivering for our clients, our business and our people. With a dedicated team of innovation specialists, JBA Labs is here to nurture and support every stage of innovation - from scoping out ideas right through to commercialisation. We help deliver projects at any scale, from creating more efficient processes to developing game-changing innovations.
