About:

Developed in partnership with Stream and The Open Data Institute, V-KEMS is running a three-day virtual study group that aims to bring mathematical sciences and other disciplines together to address challenges involved in the water sector.

Background

How can we use data to better understand the challenges and impacts affecting UK waterways, rivers, lakes and seas to reduce flooding, pollution, habitat loss, drought and water scarcity?

• With systems like Open Street Map available for roads, how might we create something similar for waterways to improve shared understanding of what is happening in our waterways and provide the basis for joined up action?
• How can we develop a way for citizen science data and water company data to come together and what opportunities would this afford?
• Prioritising investment is the first step to improved waterways. How can we use data to identify where humans are interacting with UK waterways, rivers, lakes and seas? Where is there evidence of environmental impact?

About the Partners

Stream is a collaboration between the majority of UK water companies, supported by industry and civil society partners, with a shared vision to unlock water data to deliver value to customers, society and the environment. The Open Data Institute (ODI) is a non-profit company committed to promoting and advancing trust in data, and a partner of Stream. Stream and the ODI are working together to celebrate Open Data Day: an annual worldwide celebration of open data.

The Virtual Forum for Knowledge Exchange (V-KEMS) is an ongoing collaboration between The International Centre for Mathematical Sciences (ICMS), Isaac Newton Institute (INI), Newton Gateway to Mathematics and Innovate UK Business Connect and various representatives from the mathematical sciences community. The main aim is to identify a range of virtual approaches that will help address challenges from business and industry, the third sector, and other groups outside academia. These challenges may be long-standing or may have arisen directly as a consequence of the present disruption to UK society (such as the pandemic).