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A circular room with a panoramic digital screen displaying a realistic outdoor scene featuring grass, trees, and water. An open door reveals a different floor surface leading outside the display area.
A 3D aerial view of a city with densely packed buildings, green spaces, and winding roads. There are red and blue highlighted areas in the city center, and a yellow outline encircles part of the city.

Flood and Drought Visualisation

November 2025 – June 2027

This project brings together environmental science and creative digital practice to help people better understand the impacts of flooding and drought.

About the project

Led by the Institute for Creative Technologies at Norwich University of the Arts, the Flood and Drought Visualisation Project is part of the UK’s Floods and Droughts Research Infrastructure (FDRI). Funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, FDRI is a £38 million national programme designed to strengthen the UK’s resilience to extreme weather in a changing climate. As a key creative partner, Norwich is working with the University of Bristol and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology to translate complex hydrological data into immersive, engaging audio-visual experiences.

Drawing on techniques from digital filmmaking, real-time simulation and game technologies, the Institute for Creative Technologies will transform data from drones, satellites and advanced flood models into compelling visual narratives exploring two core themes:

  • High-impact flood events – Revealing how floods reshape rivers, landscapes and the built environment.
  • ‘From Sky to River’ – Following the journey of water from rainfall and snowmelt through soils, wetlands, rivers and reservoirs.

Public engagement sits at the heart of the project. Building on its experience developing Sony Europe’s first educational virtual production studio and the AHRC-funded Immersive Visualisation and Simulation Lab, the University will design and build a bespoke, mobile immersive visualisation system. This flexible platform will travel to schools, village halls, science festivals and public spaces, allowing people to step inside digital environments that make flood and drought science accessible, interactive and memorable.

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  • Aerial view of a city with dense buildings and green spaces, surrounded by hills under a partly cloudy sky, with mountains visible in the background.
  • A calm river with green grass on both sides, a wooden footbridge crossing over it, floating barriers in the water, and tall trees under a blue sky with light clouds.
  • A 3D map view of a city with buildings in white and areas highlighted in red, possibly indicating zones of interest. Green patches suggest parks or vegetation, all set against a blue background.
Research and Knowledge Exchange Projects