Background/Rationale
Nature-based interventions including woody material can slow the flow of water in rivers, and potentially provide downstream flood risk reduction while simultaneously mitigating drought-risk through groundwater recharge. Yet, the properties of woody material in rivers and influence on flow processes are poorly constrained – resulting in limited understanding of how these solutions impact multi-hazard risks related to water security (flood, drought). This is compounded by a lack of data-rich field monitoring of woody material and the coupled hydraulic processes. Further, the degradation and lifespan of woody structures modulating these risks is often unaccounted for in understanding role in flood and drought risk reduction.
This project builds on ongoing collaborative hydraulic monitoring at Harry’s Park Wood and Harper Brook (Brigstock, Northamptonshire), where natural flood management interventions will be implemented in 2026/2027. Brigstock village has experienced flooding in 2020 and 2024, causing property damage and resident displacement, demonstrating urgent need for effective flood mitigation.
Flooding and drought pose growing threats to UK communities under climate change. This project investigates how nature-based interventions, can reduce flood risk and recharge groundwater for drought mitigation in Northamptonshire catchments. Using physical flume experiments, field monitoring, and numerical modelling, the project will optimise the design and placement of these low-cost, sustainable solutions to maximise return on investment. Working in collaboration with the Environment Agency, Forestry England, and North Northamptonshire Council, findings will directly inform local water management and contribute to national water security policies, building resilience against increasingly frequent and severe flood and drought events.
Research questions
Working in partnership with the Environment Agency, North Northamptonshire Council and Forestry England, this project will address this issue through three key research questions:
This project is a CENTA Flagship Project.
This project offers a CASE studentship
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This project proposes to integrate (i) physical modelling to inform intervention design, (ii) numerical modelling to optimise placement at catchment scale, and (iii) field monitoring to validate real-world effectiveness. There is flexibility to prioritise and adjust the proposed methods to suit the interests and skillsets of the applicant.
Physical modelling in Loughborough University’s River Science Laboratory, hydraulic measurements associated with various designs of woody interventions will quantify the effects on flow resistance and discharge attenuation to identify optimal intervention configurations. Field monitoring at Harry’s Park Wood (Northamptonshire, UK) provides continuous high-resolution water level and discharge monitoring that will quantify nature-based intervention effectiveness pre- and post-installation, alongside evaluating any land use changes. Numerical modelling using CAESAR-Lisflood1 will simulate intervention scenarios across two catchments in Northamptonshire, including Harpers Brook and Wootton Brook. This will determine optimal intervention placement and types to maximise flood risk reduction under current and projected climate scenarios.
DRs will be awarded CENTA Training Credits (CTCs) for participation in CENTA-provided and ‘free choice’ external training. One CTC can be earned per 3 hours training, and DRs must accrue 100 CTCs across the three and a half years of their PhD.
An understanding of river processes is required. The supervisory team will support with bespoke training of sensors, equipment and numerical models, it is essential that the candidate has experience in at least one of the three core components: field work, physical modelling, and/or numerical modelling.
The project is supported by CASE partnership with North Northamptonshire Council’s, aligning to their Local Nature Recovery Strategy, aligning with natural flood management opportunities to help regulate water quality and water flow. The project will also support the Resilient and Innovative Northants Project which is part of a nationwide £200 million program exploring new, sustainable methods for managing flood risks. This collaborative project is also supported by the Environment Agency (external partner) and works closely with Forestry England. The successful applicant will be embedded to directly collaborate with, and deliver impact, by working with the project partners.
Year 1: Field monitoring at Harry’s Park Wood (Northamptonshire, UK)
Year 2: Physical modelling in Loughborough University’s River Science Laboratory
Year 3: Numerical modelling to simulate intervention scenarios across two catchments in Northamptonshire.
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For informal inquiries about this project, please contact the lead supervisor Dr Robert Houseago (r[email protected]) at Loughborough University.
To apply to this project:
Applications must be submitted by 23:59 GMT on Wednesday 6th January 2027.