How did Llif come about?
In 2012 the Leri and the Ceulan rivers burst their banks in the village of Talybont, near Aberystwyth in Mid Wales. The impact was catastrophic, flooding 27 homes and businesses.
The Llif project was developed in partnership between Talybont Community Flood Group (TCFG) and Tir Canol to explore natural flood management activities in the two river catchments, and other potential solutions to prevent further devastating floods.
Climate change is increasing the intensity of rainfall events, and this could cause farmland within the Leri and Ceulan catchments to be overwhelmed with water more often. The Talybont community needs to plan to limit the damage if further floods occur.
What is co-design and how did it figure?
Co-design is a collaborative methodology where researchers work as equal partners with participants, stakeholders, or community members throughout the research process. It is a non-linear process that prioritises collective input from a range of actors in order to amplify voices that often go unheard. This approach prioritises shared ownership and decision-making, is iterative and responsive, and puts an emphasis on practical outcomes.
We ran 4 co-design workshops over a six-month period, with a mix of local people and landowners, to understand the range of perspectives, opportunities and interests in the area. We also held or attended 4 wider community engagement events to involve the wider community in thinking about the problems and potential solutions related to flooding in the village. A scientific survey of the Leri catchment was funded to visit the catchment in-person and understand more technical perspectives on what the main causes of flooding might be and what changes would be expected to make the most difference.
What are the key findings of the report?
- In order to reduce the impact of future floods, the capacity for water flow under the A487 road bridge should be increased.
- Tree planting and restoring natural landscapes could help over time.
- The likelihood of large floods like the one in 2012 is increasing due to the consequence of climate change.