Environment Agency Conference: ‘Risk, Resilience & Response in a Changing Climate’
Sept 18th 2015
The Environment Agency is convening a major conference on flood and coastal risk management, to be held at the Telford International Centre in February 2016. The Environment Agency says that the three-day event, titled Flood & Coast 2016, builds on the legacy of previous flood and coastal risk management (FCRM) events led by Defra and the Environment Agency which took place in Telford until 2010 and were considered to be the authoritative events on FCRM.
Working in partnership with ICE (the Institution of Civil Engineers) and CIWEM (the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management), the Environment Agency is planning a three-day programme of workshops, debates and panel sessions, tailored to topics selected by the Agency and an industry advisory panel, and says it will draw on the best of its partners’ resources to make this the authoritative FCRM event. The event will include an exhibition and the conference chair, Alison Baptiste, Director of Strategy and Investment at the Environment Agency, says she wants exhibitors to be able to share their products and services to support the delivery of flood and coastal risk management.
The main theme of the event is ‘Risk, Resilience & Response in a Changing Climate’ and under this main theme the Agency has selected four key topics for the conference:
- People and Property
- Community Resilience
- Major Infrastructure and Asset Management
- Global Perspectives
Alison Baptiste says that the following three aspects of the conference will make it even more relevant to its visitors and exhibitors than previous events:
- The involvement of infrastructure partners, business and community groups who were largely missing from the previous events: “they are key partners when it comes to FCRM delivery.”
- An innovative conference and exhibition format that will provide more opportunities to discuss and debate the issues facing the FCRM community today and in the future.
- “Looking beyond our shores to learn from those responding to flood and coastal erosion risk overseas.”
In a message from the chair, Alison Baptiste says: “Everyone who is involved in flood and coastal erosion risk management, or who is affected by flooding or erosion, should be interested in Flood & Coast 2016. The key FCRM delivery partners attending will be local authorities, water companies, internal drainage boards and the Environment Agency. We also want to see the consultants and contractors who deliver a huge amount of the work on our behalf. Many of our framework contractors and consultants work all over the world, so they will be able to share this overseas expertise and fresh thinking.”
She continues: “Contributions from the major infrastructure providers, such as Highways England, Network Rail, as well as the ports and airports, will be an essential success factor for the event. Protection of their critical assets is a national priority. We also hope to hear from community groups – again so they can be part of the discussion to assist those involved in delivering flood and coastal risk management measures to really understand what is needed and therefore how best to provide it.”
The conference will be accompanied by ‘lunch and learns,’ product presentations, and networking opportunities on the exhibition floor. The dates for the conference are February 23-25. For more information, see the conference website: Flood & Coast 2016.
ENA UK 