Climate change and rising sea levels are impacting the design and shape of our cities. Edward Barsley, author of Retrofitting for Flood Resilience, outlines six key strategies for creating environments that are adapted to flooding.
In the book Retrofitting for Flood Resilience: A Guide to Building & Community Design, Barsley outlines how urban and natural environments can be adapted to reduce the impact of flooding.
"Flood resilient design can significantly reduce the exposure and vulnerability of communities and both the natural and built environment to the impact of flooding and help those affected recover quicker," he told Dezeen.
"Flood resilient design should not just be seen as a necessity"
Barsley believes the adaptations that need to be made to protect areas from rising sea levels could also be an opportunity to improve the world's cities. "Flood resilient design should not just be seen as a necessity, but as an opportunity through which to deliver wider benefits such as improved biodiversity and to enhance the quality of placemaking in communities throughout the world," he continued.

According to Barsley, who heads up design-research led practice The Environmental Design Studio, architects should be thinking about how they can positively impact these environments.
"The frequency and severity of flood events is increasing as a result of climate change, and it's an issue that demands urgent and collective action, particularly...