Sonam Rinzin’s Placement Report

I successfully completed an industrial placement at JBA Consulting (Newcastle Office). Over six months (June 2025–January 2026), I provided technical support to JBA by applying skills developed through my PhD research.

During the placement, I developed an expert reference document to support the integration of glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) modelling within JBA’s QFlow flood model. This work is expected to help expand JBA’s consultancy capability into cryosphere-related hazards in high-mountain regions worldwide. In addition, drawing on my experience combining numerical and agent-based modelling approaches, I developed a workflow to couple QFlow with the agent-based consequences model HEC-LifeSim. This workflow demonstrated the added value of integrating agent-based modelling with QFlow to strengthen flood risk assessment in the UK and potentially in other regions.

I also had the opportunity to present this workflow to JBA sector leads and to representatives from Natural Resources Wales. Furthermore, I applied the workflow to assess the impacts of a potential flood resulting from a Tobol dam breach in Kazakhstan, which contributed to strengthening the bidding documentation for a wider impact assessment project.

Reflecting on my development during the placement, I gained substantial experience working in a fast-paced industry environment. Presenting my work to stakeholders both within JBA and externally helped strengthen my professional communication skills. I also developed a stronger understanding of industry standards and ethics, including data confidentiality and privacy requirements. Overall, the placement has brought me closer to industry-ready practice and reinforced my motivation to apply technical expertise to deliver real-world benefits.

I would like to sincerely thank IAPETUS and my supervisors for enabling this placement, and JBA Consulting for their support throughout the process.