Dr Steph Bond

Profile

I am an Impact Translation Fellow for the Yorkshire Integrated Catchment Solutions Programme (iCASP) which aims to work alongside partners in the Yorkshire region to improve catchment resilience to climate change.

I specialise in monitoring and modelling nature-based solutions for flood management, and have experience working with organisations throughout the UK. 

Currently, I coordinate the West Yorkshire Flood Innovation Programme alongside five lead local flood authorities - Bradford District Council, Leeds City Council, Calderdale Council, Kirklees Council and Wakefield Council – the Environment Agency, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Yorkshire Water.

In January 2025, I recieved the Water Woman Special Commendation Award for Societal Impact and Knowledge Transfer.

Research interests

My research centres on catchment hydrology, focusing on optimising land management for improved flood and drought resilience, carbon sequestration, water quality, and biodiversity, alongside farming and leisure activities.

I am particularly interested in:

• The use of hillslope-based forms of Natural Flood Management, especially land cover as a form of surface roughness for ‘slowing the flow’
• The influence of land cover on soil properties and their hydrological function
• Use of GIS and hydrological modelling to quantify potential influence of land cover change on downstream flood risk
• Working with land managers, policy makers, flood-affected communities and partner organisations to practically improve catchment resilience through informed decision making

Example current projects include:

• Digital Smart Flood Warning Systems | Use of real-time surface water sensors for a digital smart flood warning system (Feasibility study 2023, Pilot 2025-2026) | Partners: WYFLIP & Wakefield Council | Funded by Local Digital Fund (2023) and IAA (2025-26)
• Healthy Lands, Healthy Rivers | Monitoring sediment transport and water level through the Skell catchment; Mapping opportunities for Nature Based Solutions to tackle flood and sediment pressures; Developing a prototype Payment by Results scheme to fund landscape interventions in the Skell valley, North Yorkshire (2023-2025) | Partners: National Trust & Nidderdale National Landscape | Funded by North Yorkshire Council
• West Yorkshire Flood Innovation Programme Accelerator (2023-2025) | Feasibility study scoping for current regional status and future projects on six key themes: 1. Early Flood Warning Systems; 2. Green Social Prescribing; 3. Green Finance; 4. Flood source mapping; 5. Stakeholder perspectives on NBS; 6. Trade-off analysis of NBS (2022-2025) | Partners: WYFLIP & York University | Funded by UK Shared Prosperity Fund
• CASTOR (2021-2025) | Exploring how woodland along rivers and waterways can build a healthier and richer environmental landscape, fight climate change and protect cultural heritage | Led by the University of Manchester | Funded by UKRI Future of UK Treescapes
• Monitoring soil hydrology in the Otterburn catchment (2024-2025) | Provision of data to create a model that calculates the effectiveness of natural flood defences | Funded by Arup/EA
• (Upcoming) Monitoring the long-term impact of land use change in the Lake District (2025-2026) | Establishing paired catchment monitoring of soil and surface roughness property change with land management | Funded by National Trust

Qualifications

• PhD, University of Leeds
• MPhil, University of Leicester
• BSc (Hons) Geography, University of Leicester

Professional memberships

• British Hydrological Society

Research groups and institutes

• River Basin Processes and Management
• water@leeds