UK towns harness nature to combat rising flood risk

In a stream near Leicester in central England, six volunteers in waterproof overalls and boots busily reinforced mini wooden structures designed to combat the rising flooding threat.

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LEICESTER - In a stream near Leicester in central England, six volunteers in waterproof overalls and boots busily reinforced mini wooden structures designed to combat the rising flooding threat.

The city, like many others in the UK, has experienced several intense rainfall events in recent years, which have caused significant damage.

Alert to climate change, which intensifies these events, the authorities are strengthening their defences and turning to solutions more sympathetic with the environment.

With their feet firmly planted on the bed of the Saffron Brook, a tributary of the River Soar that runs through Leicester, the volunteers ensured the structures' wooden bundles were securely anchored.

These structures create bends that "change the behaviour of the river" and slow down water in stretches where it now flows "straight and very fast", said Mr Dan Scott, who leads the programme at the Trent Rivers Trust, a group working to protect rivers.

He regularly oversees the installation of new facilities.