In October, the Environment Agency won the Digital Leaders 100 Member's Award for our engagement solution, “Hello EA”, receiving an incredible 7,000 votes to secure the top spot. This marks the first time the Environment Agency has used AI for public engagement.

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Following this fantastic recognition, we’re excited to share the latest updates on our partnership with the Environment Agency. Our technology is supporting their mission to create better places for people and wildlife while supporting sustainable development by:

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• Engaging communities who couldn’t be reached before
• Gathering valuable public insights on a much larger scale
• Promoting environmental awareness

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Since our partnership began, “Hello EA” has been able to achieve some fantastic results across the country! Together, “Hello EA” has:

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• Helped avoid over £1.55 million in costs related to community engagement
• Reduced carbon footprint by more than 45,000 kg ‍
• Freed up over 291 staff days

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... These achievements really highlight how our partnership is making a difference and we’re excited to continue our work together!

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Here’s a quick look at what we’ve been working on:

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Across the Nation

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Citizen Science: Monitoring bathing waters and inviting the community to share information about live events or issues they notice and ask any questions they might have. This data and insight is helping the team to spot problems and take the right action. 

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Lincolnshire

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Lincolnshire Coast FCRM: Focused on reducing climate change impacts to boost community readiness for flood and climate risks, helping residents prepare for and respond to coastal environmental challenges.

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‍Boston Barrier Tidal Flood Scheme: Helping residents and visitors stay informed about how the Boston Barrier protects the town from flooding, and answer any questions they have. 

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Devon, Cornwall & Isles of Scilly 

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Bude Flood Defence and River Restoration Project: Sharing the story of Bude’s changing coastline and the simple steps residents can take to stay safe - there’s even an interactive climate change quiz for users to test their knowledge. 

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Luton

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Luton Hat Gardens with Luton Council: Better preparing Luton residents for flood-related events. The multilingual tool ensures that essential flood safety information reaches everyone, helping the entire community stay informed and ready to respond when needed.

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Keen to learn more?

We’re hosting a few drop-in sessions in early 2025 to answer your questions about the "Hello EA" partnership and share updates on what we’re working on.

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Upcoming sessions:

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• January 30, 2025: 13:30–14:15

• February 28, 2025: 11:30–12:15

• March 26, 2025: 15:00–15:45

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You can register for our drop-in sessions via the "Hello EA" SharePoint page.

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We look forward to seeing you there!

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Here are some other environment-focused projects we’ve been excited to work on…

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• Project Groundwater Northumbria: Engaging residents on work that’s being done to reduce surface water flooding in the North East and how it will impact them. Users can also ask any question they have around the project and get an instant response.

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• ResilienTogether: We’ve launched an interactive trail with Hertfordshire County Council and Bedfordshire Council to guide visitors and provide educational insights about water quality issues, protecting local wildlife and natural surroundings, while mitigating flood risk.

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• Ousewem: Has taken a unique approach by engaging various community groups, including farmers and residents. Our tool is educating the community on Natural Flood Management measures and exploring the potential for wider adoption. 

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• Resilient Coasts: Helping prepare the community for the impact of the changing coastline, empowering residents to shape their resilient community. 

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• South West Water: Inviting visitors to share their experiences with local rivers by monitoring and reporting on water quality and safety. Using citizen science, this real-time feedback will support efforts to secure inland bathing water designation, ensuring the rivers are safe and enjoyable for everyone.

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In other news…

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Digital Innovation for Community Engagement - Webinar

We organised a webinar featuring various team members from the Environment Agency. Together, we discussed the role of digital engagement with communities, shedding light on the success stories of our “Hello EA” partnership. 

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To gain valuable insights from the firsthand experiences and learnings of individual Environment Agency colleagues, click the link to watch the webinar recording.

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We hope you found this overview helpful! If you are from the Defra Group, please contact WorkingWithOthers@environment-agency.gov.uk for further discussion or clarification

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