A Sprowston soldier is working in the wetlands of Botswana carrying out disaster planning.

Territorial Army (TA) officer Captain Emily Grogutt is a member of the Royal Engineers' 170 (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Group and is in Botswana on attachment to the Military Stabilisation Support Group, which is based in Camberley, Surrey.

She is currently working in the Okavango Delta region of Botswana, honing the skills her Army unit needs for operations in Helmand Province in Afghanistan.

The former Hewett School pupil and her team of seven have been based in the north-western town of Maun, on the banks of the Thamalakane River, with military colleagues from the Botswana Defence Force.

The team is carrying out a study into the country's preparation for disaster, in particular the north-west region which is prone to flooding.

The flooding has caused some people to be uprooted from their homes and has destroyed crops and cattle.

They will report their findings to the Botswana government.

Mrs Grogutt, 40, who joined the TA in 1997, said: 'I wanted to expand my engineering experience and work as a team, and give myself some personal challenges.'

In civilian life, she works for Amey as a bridge examiner, a job which provides her with engineering skills which she uses in her Army life.

Do you have a Sprowston story for the Evening News? Contact local reporter Lucy Wright on 01603 772495 or email lucy.wright@archant.co.uk