the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched a new nationwide competition to consider the future of flood defences for the UK.

Entrants have been given access to river catchment data, published as part of Defra’s open data programme, to consider how best to tackle flooding in Cumbria.

The competition is focused on practical solutions and bold innovation. Government will consider how any of the creative ideas could be applied to real world flood management.

Defra chief scientist Ian Boyd said: “We have now published more than 10,000 datasets in just one year with our Open Data programme. This competition is a fantastic opportunity for some of the best and brightest talent around the UK to use this vast resource to help us keep communities, families and homes safer from flooding. It will also help improve our understanding of the nation’s natural environment.”

At the launch event, held at Defra’s Nobel House in London, sessions were held on river modelling research, the power of open data and latest technologies.

Interest is expected from academic experts, insurance companies, water companies, technology and consultancy companies, as well as environmental NGOs.

The competition follows the creation of the Cumbria Floods Partnership, and work on the government’s National Flood Resilience Review, which will highlight new ways to better protect the country from floods.

A version of this story first appeared on wwtonline