Restoring with risk: perceptions of reservoir flood risk in Whaley Bridge

Understanding flood risk perceptions is critical for effective flood risk communication. In 2019, heavy rainfall triggered the failure of Toddbrook Reservoir's spillway resulting in a severe flood warning being issued for the Whaley Bridge area. In 2022, a large-scale restoration began at the reservoir. This paper describes perceptions of reservoir flood risk by the residents of Whaley Bridge and experts in environmental science and engineering. Results show that risk perception varies, with residents perceiving reservoir flood risk subjectively and experts perceiving risk objectively. With no previous risk communication, residents did not consider there to be a risk of reservoir failure; moreover, they have trust in Toddbrook's restoration. Meanwhile, experts emphasize that risk can never be fully eliminated, but that the probability of failure is extremely low. Climate change is considered by some as a contributing factor to the event and uncertainties in the risks that it poses has meant that there is a requirement to improve and maintain existing dams to mitigate risk. Findings have demonstrated the importance of more advanced risk communication as well as a necessity to improve flood risk maps for accessibility, awareness and to better account for the probability of failure in order to avoid the misinterpretation of risk. By identifying differing perceptions of risk between experts and residents, data results can be used to enhance reservoir risk communication. This paper is based on the author's undergraduate thesis titled ‘Restoring with Risk: Perceptions of Reservoir Flood Risk in Whaley Bridge’ at Bath Spa University in 2023.