Modelling and assessment at JBA: Turning expertise into climate resilience solutions
For more than three decades, we’ve built a reputation for excellence in hydrology, hydraulics, forecasting, and computational fluid dynamics — consistently leading the way in modelling and assessment. Now, as we look to the future, we’re exploring emerging areas of expertise and developing new services to help drive society’s pursuit of climate resilience.
Environmental and whole catchment modelling
The expansion of our expertise in environmental and catchment modelling is supported by the core values central to JBA. By embracing innovation, working collaboratively and sharing our knowledge, we've advanced our services and developed a reputation as experts in this field.
Bespoke solutions underpinned by academic expertise
Having gained expertise in everything from distributed modelling of integrated catchment management measures to modelling and assessing the impacts of climate change, we are now able to develop customised solutions for our clients. Our close collaborations with academic institutions enhance our capabilities, allowing us to leverage their expertise. Through these academic partnerships, we've successfully transitioned innovative solutions into commercial use, providing new services and better assessment of risk reduction and resilience improvements.
A diverse range of services to support clients across multiple sectors
We're proud to have supported a wide range of clients, including the Environment Agency, Natural England, Defra, the World Bank, river trusts, water companies, local councils and green investment companies.
This has led us to contribute to the Defra Research, Development and Evidence (RDE) Framework, support Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF), map and model nature-based solutions (NbS) and support several projects under the Government's Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme (FCRIP).
We have also played an active role in the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) investigations of NbS for water companies. Building on this work, and recognising the need for solutions that deliver multiple benefits, we are driving the development of an integrated modelling process. This approach combines tools such as SIMCAT, Fieldmouse, and HYPE, enabling a more complete picture of how NbS can strengthen resilience and support long-term improvements.
The future of environmental and whole catchment modelling
Looking to the future, we'll continue to build inter-disciplinary solutions - providing access to different JBA skillsets such as groundwater modelling, water quality modelling and natural capital. Driven by our ambition of leading in society's pursuit for resilience to climate change, a key focus will be the further development and adoption of integrated and nature-based solutions, supported by the use of new tools such as Resilience Studio® and QFlow to visualise this.
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Explore our full range of environmental and whole catchment modelling services
- Distributed modelling of integrated catchment management measures to understand improvements to resilience
- Delivering high quality research including UKRI/NERC and Defra Science and Evidence on Natural Flood Management and Freshwater Quality
- Modelling and mapping multiple hazards from flood to drought and water pollution
- Modelling, mapping and assessing spatially distributed NbS to represent realistic process changes including storing, slowing and infiltrating
- Evaluation of the effectiveness of Catchment Sensitive Farming
- Evaluation of effectiveness and likely benefits for award of grants for NbS
- Natural Capital assessment of multiple benefits- quantifying and prioritised targeting for water companies
- Evaluation of the impacts of climate change
- Development of Resilience Studio for Adaptation planning
- Model skills including: HEC-RAS 2D direct rainfall, DynaTop (Dynamic TOPMODEL), Hybrid integration of tools, e.g. Dynatop+JFlow, QFlow NbS, Water Quality data analysis, SIMCAT/SAGIS, HYPE, Fieldmouse
Modelling for water resources
Modelling for water resources is a specialist area of expertise we've been committed to developing in recent years. Through a combination of in-house development, the appointment of industry experts and ongoing training across our teams, we now offer a range of services that support clients to use, understand and interpret modelling for their needs.
Identifying, understanding, reviewing and assessing risks
Our expertise in modelling for water resources has seen us work across a variety of sectors. Supporting water companies such as Yorkshire Water and Bristol Water to model drought risk and develop drought plans, and assisting Manx Utilities and the St Helena Government to create Water Resource Management Plans. We've also conducted reviews of models, supported options development, benefit and impact assessments, and even provided modelling expertise to SSE Hydropower to test outage strategies to support the refurbishment of hydropower systems.
Expanding our capabilities through a multi-disciplinary approach
We will continue to enhance our water resources modelling capabilities by integrating JBA’s broader services and disciplines, as well as adopting new technologies and software. This approach will allow us to provide expertise to water companies, the energy sector, navigation industries, and public and government bodies. Additionally, we aim to support clients in other sectors, focusing on extending the benefits of our services to the private sector as well.
Adaption pathways and innovative scheme development
The changing climate over the last 30 years has had a huge impact on the evolution of our Modelling and Assessment services. This is particularly true of our work in adaptation pathways and scheme development. In recent years, we have been at the forefront of applying adaptation pathways to flood and coastal erosion risk management (FCERM), particularly in relation to complex and sensitive coastal environments. At the heart of this is our unique approach, which embraces uncertainty in climate projections and stakeholder needs, enabling phased, flexible interventions that evolve.
A unique approach underpinned by key innovations
To support our approach, we've developed and adopted several innovations, including:
- Strategic phasing of interventions based on triggers and thresholds
- Integration of economic appraisal with pathway development to support robust business cases
- Alignment of fixed and rigid legislation (e.g. Habitats Regulations) with flexible and fluid adaptation planning
- Stakeholder-led appraisal that aligns technical feasibility with community and environmental priorities
Our expertise in adaptation pathways and innovative scheme development has led to our support of several significant projects, including the Hurst Spit to Lymington Strategy and the development of a number of coastal adaptation plans across Scotland.
Hurst Spit to Lymington Strategy
This project has seen our teams champion the adaptation pathways approach for the Hurst Spit to Lymington Strategy. This work is distinguished by a strategic vision which spans 100 years and aims to manage flood and erosion risks while enhancing natural and cultural assets over this period. This has involved innovative pathway design, drawing on guidance and case studies and incorporating adaptations for the complexities of the real-world environment.
Stakeholder engagement has also been key to this, with JBA colleagues leading complex discussions and translating technical content into accessible narratives. To ensure the pathway options are economically viable and strategically aligned, we've also provided Economic Appraisal Integration services.
Coastal adaptation in Scotland
Our Marine and Coastal Risk Management team have played a pivotal role in shaping Scotland's flood resilience strategy and coastal adaptation planning. This includes influencing policy (to align ourselves with Scotland's adaptation agenda), leading webinars and consultations on coastal change adaptation, a focus on erosion management and local resilience planning in Moray, Highland, Aberdeenshire and Argyll and Bute, and support for the delivery of assessments and adaptation plans in several vulnerable Scottish coastlines.
Our innovations and technical leadership in this area include:
- Development of a single Coastal Resilience Index (CRI) metric using satellite imagery and remote sensing to summarise the resilience of the dune system at Nairn
- Research and internal studies to adapt the CRI framework for Moray
- Real-Time Coastal Monitoring for Moray Council
- Preparation of adaptation plans for Aberdeenshire, Argyll and Bute, and Moray coastlines
By calling upon expertise from across our disciplines, these projects demonstrate how we'll continue to evolve the services we offer to lead the way in climate adaptation and FCERM appraisal. Having developed and utilised innovation in applying adaptive pathways to real-world coastal challenges and gained experience integrating environmental, heritage, and economic considerations into scheme/strategy design and adaptation plans, we're well-positioned to support our clients and coastal communities in building resilience to climate change.
Flood forecasting, local and national systems
We're proud to have been the supplier of choice for flood forecasting models and systems development for government and regulatory bodies in the UK for the past 15-20 years. In this time, our methods and innovations have helped to drive standards and set guidelines. By calling upon the specialist skills of our teams, we've also developed a centre for excellence for model calibration and improvements, systems development and hydrometric data analysis.
A varied skillset and recognised expertise
By continuing to advance our expertise, refine our methods and implement innovations, the range of services we offer in this area has grown. From high-quality, location-specific forecasts to larger scale flood inundation and impact-based forecasts. We've also developed expertise in hydrometric data analysis, rating curve development and review, and flood warning aspects, such as derivation of trigger/threshold levels and flood warning area derivation. This has seen us support government and regulatory clients, charities, engineering contractors, local authorities, distribution network operators, the humanitarian sector and development banks.
Project support underpinned by flood forecasting and flood warning improvements
By working across a range of sectors, we've delivered a variety of milestone projects including:
- Single site to catchment scale flood forecasting and warning improvements through to national improvement programmes
- Flood warning improvements projects following recent flooding to investigate the impacts, performance of the warning service and recommend improvements and solutions
- Country/region-wide flood forecasting system development, using Flood Foresight and Delft-FEWS as the system, depending upon the requirement
- Scoping inception studies to recommend modelling approaches that are implemented within future work
As we seek to continue to lead the way in flood forecasting, we will continue to improve our flood warning and forecasting services for government and regulatory agencies around the world, whilst also offering more bespoke services to organisations at flood risk.
We're using machine learning and AI to make flood forecasting more reliable, timely and tailored to the needs of different users. Read more here.
For more information about our range of modelling and assessment service, and details of how we can support you in the future, please contact Duncan Faulkner, Head of Modelling and Assessment.
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