Does anyone know where we are going?
Hydro SUDS ‘n’ Floods Conference Reviews Policy and Practice for UK Flood Risk Strategy Future.
HARD QUESTIONS were asked of flooding and drainage planners, policy makers and strategy specialists by the panel of expert speakers assembled by Hydro International at the SUDS ‘n’ Floods Conference in Tewkesbury, 1st July.
Chaired by Alastair Moseley, UK Water Sector Director, WSP Group and with the keynote speech delivered by Professor Richard Ashley, who was a member of the Science and Engineering Panel advising Sir Michael Pitt for his final review (published 6 days earlier), the conference pulled no punches and explored new directions for assessing and dealing with flood risk.
“There is no such thing as a total solution to flooding”, commented Richard Ashley. “Anyone who seeks a cut and dried answer has no grasp of the problem; we can only offer responses and better risk management and techniques like SUDS should be understood as part of a risk management portfolio. To reduce flood risk everyone has to be aware and take responsibility, at all levels from politicians and planners down to householders; it might not be a vote winner, but that’s what the Government needs to take the lead on.”
Chris Williams, Chief Operating Officer of Hydro, continued: “Flood management strategy is at a critical juncture in the UK, it is up to us professionals to educate and inform the politicians, planners and the public so as the right decisions can be made, not based on outdated and under achieving practices as has happened previously.
“Information sharing is key to better assessment of risk and response to flooding. That’s why we called the conference at the scene of some of the worst flooding in theUKfor many years. And we need to develop best practice based on overseas experience, too. For this reason we invited Rebekah Brown of Melbourne’s Monash University, a leading academic in water policy in Australia, and members of British Water’s 2006 American Sustainable Drainage Technical Mission.”
Other speakers included leading engineers (Arup,CampbellReith), water companies (SevernTrent, Welsh Water), the Environment Agency and Micro Drainage.
Speakers also noted that UK legislation needs to be extensively updated as it is currently too inflexible and nullifies efforts to plan and implement flood alleviation strategies; that OFWAT should release money for sustainable drainage schemes; that water quality is as important as quantity, as flooding poses immense pollution threats; and that the integration of urban drainage is slow, because understanding and the will to implement is lacking among politicians and civil servants.
The 170 delegates included engineering consultancies, contractors, county council engineers and planners, highways engineers, manufacturers, drainage boards and others, who received the packed conference programme with exceptional interest and attention.
