A Mixed-Methods Investigation into Barriers for Sharing Geospatial and Resilience Flood Data in the UK

With increases in average temperature and rainfall predicted, more households are expected to be at risk of flooding in the UK by 2050. Data and technologies are increasingly playing a critical role across public-, private- and third-sector organisations. However, barriers and constraints exist across organisations and industries that limit the sharing of data. We examine the international context for data sharing and variations between data-rich and data-sparse countries. We find that local politics and organisational structures influence data sharing. We focus on the case study of the UK, and on geospatial and flood resilience data in particular. We use a series of semi-structured interviews to evaluate data sharing limitations, with particular reference to geospatial and flood resilience data. We identify barriers and constraints when sharing data between organisations. We find technological, security, privacy, cultural and commercial barriers across different use cases and data points. Finally, we provide three long-term recommendations to improve the overall accessibility to flood data and enhance outcomes for organisations and communities.

Automated summary

By 2050, more UK households are expected to face flooding risks with increasing average temperature and rainfall. Data and technologies are crucial across public, private, and third-sector organizations, but barriers and constraints exist in sharing data due to local politics, organizational structures, and various obstacles such as technological, security, privacy, cultural, and commercial factors. Long-term recommendations are provided to improve flood data accessibility and enhance outcomes for organizations and communities.