Matt Betesta

• Year of graduation: 2023
• Industry sector: Environment
• Current job title: Flood Resilience Officer
• Current employer: Environment Agency

Throughout my GCSEs and A-levels, I really began to enjoy Physical Geography – I loved understanding how the world works, and I chose the University of Northampton after my first open day. It had a welcoming atmosphere, with engaged and passionate lecturers, and the programme was exactly what I was looking for.

My favourite course modules were the ones focused on Water Management and Biodiversity – they began to pique my interest looking at how we manage water both for our own use, as well as to re-naturalise the world we live in. They both developed my knowledge of topics which interested me, but they also allowed me to use data in ways I hadn’t before. It was during my studies that I began using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to visually interpret and present data, and I quickly began to find my niche, which my lecturers encouraged me to utilise for my dissertation.

There’s a direct link between my course and my work at the Environment Agency. Our role is to protect and improve the environment for both nature and people. My specific role focuses on water management, and how we can improve the resilience of communities in advance of a flood event and maintain our flood warning service.

I began at the Environment Agency in the Data & Evidence team, reviewing flood risk models and working largely with flood risk data. I then moved to their Recovery Cell, as a Data Coordinator, where I followed large scale flood events across the East Midlands. Here, I began to understand the data processes used by the Environment Agency to collect information on flooded properties and the impacts on communities. In this cell I not only collated, analysed and presented flood impacts, but I also began to innovate and create newer, smarter ways of collecting information after flooding. I enjoyed my role in the Recovery Cell and began a part-time apprenticeship alongside my day-job role to qualify as a Data Analyst. This will allow me to develop and progress into a Flood Risk Technical Advisor position in the future.

Once the Recovery Cell closed, I applied for an assignment in the Flood Resilience Team, after being sought after for my technical knowledge. I’m now working with maps, data and people to maintain our Flood Warning Service, going out to speak with the public to promote resilience, and working with other teams to improve our incident response during flood events.

Every day I use the GIS skills I learnt on my course to represent flood risk in a clear and effective way when talking to the public. My understanding of water management from my degree course is integral when understanding ways in which water management can be manipulated, and why it’s important to care for the environment. Studying at UON has taught me to be resilient and innovative when solving complex data issues, thanks to their lecturers always encouraging me to push myself outside of my comfort zone.

The GIS skills I learnt throughout my course are by far the most useful in my current role and I’m recognised in the organisation for having these skills, which are always needed within the workplace. However, when it comes to reviewing how rivers behave and respond to rainfall, the Water Management module was most useful, as I was able to gain experience of interpreting data on rivers.

The advice I’d give to undergraduates interested in this career path would be to take the time to love working with GIS. It’s hard at first, but once you know how to use it effectively, it becomes so much fun working with and making maps!

My UON experience was amazing, insightful, and enjoyable, and I’ve made memories for life.