ENVIRONMENT AGENCY WALES - FLOOD AWARENESS
In 2010 the Environment Agency, Wales made data available for educational use. These resources have been incorporated within the
appropriate NGfL folders. The table below indicates:
1. where delivery of the WJEC specification Key ideas could be enhanced by using EA Wales data
2. the links on the NGfL Cymru site and
3. suggested activities associated with the EA Cymru data.
Key Question and Specified
Content
AS G1Theme 1 Investigating
climate change
1.4 What are the issues resulting
from climate change?
 Increasing levels of
extreme weather and the
impacts on human
activities.
 Rising SL and their impact
on people
NGfL Cymru Links
Being prepared for a flood
Links to interactive flood maps
on the Environment Agency
website. Floodplans may be
developed for home and school
(Environment Agency)
Suggested Activities using E.A. Data
Use the Environment Agency web sites given to complete the
activities
Are you in an area that might be flooded?
Research the Environment Agency Interactive Flood Map to find the
predicted risk of flooding in your school and/or home from rivers and the
sea
Flood Maps
Is there a current flood alert for your area? Search the interactive
realtime page which gives the number and severity of floodwarnings
currently in force
Forecasting and Warning
Register online to receive floodwarning up dates. Flood Forecasting
Centre: Homepage of the joint partnership between the MetOffice and
Environment Agency.
Flood Forecasting Centre
Activity 1
What should you do when it floods?
How can I be prepared? General preparation information and further
Environment Agency links.
General preparation information
Make a flood plan
Blank flood plan document
Prepare your home for flooding
How to reduce flood damage
Diagram - how to prevent flood water entering your home
Activity 2
Work in groups to develop a flood plan for your school.
Questions you could address include:
 Who is responsible for flood alerts?
 Who do you contact in the local area?
 How do you prepare the school for flooding?
Key Question and Specified
Content
AS G1 Theme 2 Investigating
hydrological change
Hydrological Change - River
Regimes
2.4 What are the hydrological
processes associated with
drainage basins?
Construction and analysis of
climate and river regime graphs
in S Wales (NGfL Cymru)



NGfL Cymru Links
Suggested Activities using E.A. Data
Excel data files of monthly rainfall and river height in S Wales are used
to construct and analyse climate and river regime graphs as both
whiteboard and independent student activities.
The drainage basin
system to include inputs,
flows, stores and outputs.
The characteristics of
river regimes and the
physical and human
factors influencing them.
The characteristics of
flood hydrographs and the
human and physical
factors influencing them.
2.5 What are the causes and
consequences of flooding?
Hydrological Change - Flood
Hydrographs
Investigation into the causes of
flooding in contrasting drainage
basins in Wales (NGfL Cymru
and Environment Agency)
Excel data files of hourly rainfall and river height for three contrasting
drainage basins in S Wales, [R Thaw, R Cynon, R Wye] are used to
construct and analyse flood hydrographs as both whiteboard and
independent student activities. OS maps, sketch maps, photographs,
videos and other Geographical Information Systems provide the
background to an ‘Investigation into factors causing differing river flood
levels’.
Real time EA data [and current weather patterns] can help your
interpretation of 'What influences the flood response in a river?'
[investigation 5]
Real time river levels
The Hirwaun data illustrates the headwaters of the R Cynon.
Hirwaun data
The R Wye data can be analysed to show changing flood response
times downstream.
River Wye
A Decision-Making-Exercise, using virtual fieldwork, on the best option
to reduce river flooding in Cowbridge area, contains data on the history
of flooding in the area, outlines of the different options considered by
Environmental Agency Wales, the different economic costs and the
environmental impact once built. Whiteboard and independent student
activities use OS maps, constructor’s diagrams, old newspapers, spider
diagrams, calculations.
Photographs with sound commentary allow students to visualise and
assess the success of the chosen scheme
The Environment Agency link allows students to use real time data for
investigation into their own or a selected area.
Environment Agency River levels
Use HiFlows-UK to find flood peak data at river flow gauging stations in
the UK. Maps show the location of over 1000 gauging stations. Raw
data is available. Use the 'POT CSV' files (found here) which can be
imported into Excel
These activities make use of the flooding information and information on
river and sea levels provided by the Environment Agency so that people
living in flood risk areas are better informed and can decide what
actions to take as the water levels change. Monitoring stations that
measure the levels of rivers, lakes, sea and groundwater are located
across England and Wales and measurements are taken electronically
by sensors before being automatically sent back to the Agency.
What is meant by flood risk?
Flood Risk
What is meant by flood likelihood?
Flood likelihood
Research a management plan in your area
Flood Management Plans
EA Catchment Flood Management plans. Overview of the flood risk
across each river catchment. Plans recommend ways of managing
those risks now and over the next 50 -100 years.
2.6 How is the flood hazard
perceived and managed within a
drainage basin?
 The physical and human
characteristics of a
drainage basin that cause
flooding.
 The relative importance of
these factors in different
flood events.
 The physical impacts of
flooding within a drainage
basin.
 The demographic,
economic and social
impacts of flooding.
 Different perceptions and
awareness of the flood
hazard by groups within a
drainage basin.
Hydrological Change - Flood
Management
Evaluation of a 2007 flood
alleviation scheme in S Wales
(NGfL Cymru and Environment
Agency)

Strategies to manage
flood hazards.
The effectiveness of flood
management schemes.
Flood management
Environment Agency Catchment
Flood Management plans
(Environment Agency)
Key Question and Specified
Content
AS investigation
Students are to complete an
investigation using primaryand/or
secondary data into a changing
physical environment.Students
should be involved in the
planning and decision-making to
enhance their understanding of
the enquiry process. e.g.s of a
suitable Q What hydrological
factors affect the flashiness of
river floods? How successful is
the Cowbridge flood alleviation
scheme?
NGfL Cymru Links
Suggested Activities using E.A. Data
The investigation of Cowbridge
flood alleviation scheme above
could provide secondary data
for this activity.
The Cowbridge link provides a virtual investigation of a flood alleviaton
scheme.
Other activities from NGfL
Cymru resources could be
investigation into causes of
contrasting flood responses in
three rivers in S Wales.
The EA links allow students to use realtime data for investigation into
their own or a selected area.
Use HiFlows-UK to find flood peak data at river flow gauging stations in
the UK. Maps show the location of over 1000 gauging stations.
Key Question and Specified
Content
A2 G3 Choice of optional Units
Theme 2b Coastal Landforms
and their management
 Why do coastal landforms
need to be managed?
 What are the methods
used to mnage coastal
environments and how
successful are these
strategies?
NGfL Cymru Links
Suggested Activities using E.A. Data
Coastal management Activities
relating to Environment Agency
and Defra management plans
(Environment Agency)
These activities make use of the
flooding information and
information on river and sea
levels provided by the
Environment Agency so that
people living in flood risk areas
are better informed and can
decide what actions to take as
the water levels change.
Monitoring stations that
measure the levels of rivers,
lakes, sea and groundwater are
located across England and
Wales and measurements are
taken electronically by sensors
before being automatically sent
back to the Agency.
Use the web links to investigate the Government coastal strategy policy
2010 which contains useful maps, photographs and case studies.
Research a local Shoreline development plan
DEFRA
Environment Agency
Key Question and Specified
Content
Theme 3 Climatic Hazards
 What are the interrelationships between
human activity and
climate? The short and
long term effects of low
pressure and high
pressure climatic hazards.
 What strategies are used
to reduce the impact of
climatic hazards?
Evaluation of strategies to
reduce the impact of lowpressure, high-pressure
climatic hazards.
NGfL Cymru Links
Hurricanes
The contrasting effects of
hurricanes in the Caribbean are
investigated using a variety of
resources including numerical
data, photos, aerial images,
newspaper articles, interactive
ICT, animations and posters.
Activities include: describing
impacts; evaluating strategies;
contrasting effects on New
Orleans, USA, MEDC and
Guatemala, LEDC.
Suggested Activities using E.A. Data
Global climatic hazards of hurricanes activities.
Link to flooding management above.
Key Question and Specified
Content
G3 Research themes. Choice of
one theme from 10 research
areas.
9 Rivers:
The specific topic for indivual, but
guided, research within each
theme is altered each year and is
published on the WJEC web site.
e.g. title for 2011 Human
influences on river flow.
Published Potential aims/ titles
for an investigation are:
 How does land use
influence river flow?
 How does river flow vary
above and below a
reservoir?
 How does river flow vary
between an urban area
and rural area?
 What impact do bridges
have on river flow?
 What is the impact of
water extraction on river
flow?
 How do flood control
measures affect river
flow?
NGfL Cymru Links
Suggested Activities using E.A. Data
The Interactive Environmental Agency sites with links given above
allow students access to real time data on river levels and peak flood
data. As the titles vary each year students should manipulate the web
sites to extract data that is relevant to their research title.