The Reclaim the Rain project, run collaboratively by Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils, is testing new ways of sustainably managing and harnessing water in small rural locations particularly vulnerable to drought and surface water flooding.

The Cumbria Innovative Flood Resilience (CiFR) project is demonstrating the benefits of Natural Flood Management (NFM) to small rural communities who cannot access funding for traditional flood defences.

FloodAI is a pilot project trialling a flood prediction service in six Northumberland catchments vulnerable to flash floods. The localised, fast behaviour of these flashy catchments means traditional models cannot predict the flooding with enough time for communities to act on the warnings.  

Devon Resilience Innovation Project (DRIP) unites 19 organisations in improving resilience to flooding in 26 communities across Devon. The project has brought investment to these rural communities not typically prioritised within local flood risk management strategies.  

Rural communities are at the centre of projects developing, testing and trialling approaches that increase their resilience to flooding. Here we highlight innovative projects, pilots and research happening in rural areas and provide links for you to explore further.