Learning to stay dry

Learning to Stay Dry

Climate Change is a super wicked problem that is complex and messy. As a consequence of climate change, our wets are becoming wetter and our drys dryer. Low-lying areas like Cambridge are likely to experience greater rainfall due to changes in our climate, meaning that rain will fall more intensely and cause localised flooding.

Over 1000 properties are at risk from flooding in Cambridge either from increased river flows, surface water flooding or ground water flooding. Flooding is complex. With increases in population, ever more developments and new impermeable surfaces, localised flooding is almost inevitable because the rain can’t drain away quickly enough. Learning to Stay Dry aims to develop localised solutions to this issue.

Localised Flooding Solutions

Cambridge is well placed to develop localised flooding solutions. Many homes have expansive front gardens that could accommodate rain gardens. Houses, schools or businesses could all be adapted to redirect rain water from their roofs to water butts or shallow depressions, slowing the flow of water and so reducing flooding. Redundant open spaces in the streets could be greened to absorb more water and increase bio-diversity. Opportunities exist for many small interventions to make a huge difference. If you are interested in looking at the issue and joining together to form an action group that can implement small-scale bottom-up solutions to localised flood prevention in Cambridge, then Learning to Stay Dry is the group for you.

Learning to Stay Dry Launch Event

Film Screening at the Friends Meeting House, Jesus Lane, Cambridge Wednesday 3rd February 2016, 7:30pm

Learning to Stay Dry is launching on Wednesday 3rd February with a film screening of Water Blues Green Solutions. This film illustrates small-scale solutions implemented by local groups in four American cities, inspiring bottom-up actions to localised flood prevention. Read more about the film here.

Future Events:

Localised Flooding Solutions Discussion Meeting - 7:30pm, 10 March 2016

Six Bells Pub, 11 Covent Garden, CB1 2HS
Climate change, flood prevention and green infrastructure are all huge concepts, but when these concepts and terminologies are broken down and discussed, they become easy to understand. Our March discussion aims to be part of this process and evolve solutions with likeminded people.

Tour of Flood Resilient Measures Cambridge - 10am, Saturday 28 May 2016

Following the February launch, a field trip is planned for interested people to visit solutions implemented in Cambridge. We shall meet at Trumpington Park and Ride and be taken on a guided walk by Simon Bunn Sustainable Drainage Engineer Cambridge City Council for a couple of hours around Clay Farm Development, looking at a variety of sustainable water management measures that lessen localised flooding, including permeable paving, rain gardens, down spout planters, Waterbutt collectors, rain water harvesting at the Quad and Hobsons's Sqaure and swales within the Country Park, to learn about their successes and failures.

Cambridge Fringe down spout rain garden "pilot" Romsey Mill Chidren's Centre, Mill Road - 21st May - 14th June 2016

Following the discussion meeting in March, a down spout rain garden has been installed at Romsey Mill to illustrate how surface water flooding can be lessened by collecting the water off roofs and slowing the water flows, prior to dispersing the remaining water that has not evaporated or been used by the planting into the drainage system. This feature illustrates how Staying Dry improved the local environment around Romsey Mill by planting a household and neighbourhood level garden that greens the neighbourhood and lessens localised surface water flooding. If this feature has inspired you, please do not hesitate to get in touch to see where the next down spout rain garden will be installed.

Flood Forum - 10am - 2pm, Wednesday 20th July 2016

Friends Meeting House, Jesus Lane, Cambridge, CB5 8BA
I used to think that someone should do something about flooding, I now realise that someone is me! If you feel similar and are interested in learning about ways of preventing localised flooding by installing low impact sustainable urban drainage measures, then please come along and meet with us to discuss flooding issues affecting Cambridge, potential solutions to those issues and ways that each and everyone of us can learn how to install those measures.

Contact us

If you would like to attend any of these events, or for further information, please contact us here.