ONE VOICE’ NEEDED ON FLOOD RISK, DUKE TELLS INDUSTRY
HRH The Duke of Gloucester KG GVCO last night called for a cohesive approach from the built environment institutions to mitigate the UK’s future flood risk.
Flooding is set to be one of the biggest threats the UK faces in coming years, with changing weather patterns and the wider implications of climate change meaning flooding will be more frequent and sea levels will rise significantly. A joined up approach from key players across many sectors will be crucial, in particular within the built environment where fundamental changes will be required to how we design, plan and build future communities.
Speaking at the inaugural lecture in the Duke of Gloucester Lecture Series: Flood Risk and the Built Environment, hosted by the Royal United Services Institute organised by the Inter-Institutional Flood Risk Management Group,HRH said:
"All the professional institutions have a role to play; to speak with one voice over what we should be doing to manage the flood risk and develop a sustainable built environment.
“I look forward to hearing the lectures from different regions because they will be put with different experiences and from different points of view. Let us hope collectively they will be of consequence."
The inaugural lecture was given byRobert Runcie, Director of Flood and Coastal Risk Management at the Environment Agency.
In his speech, Robert Runcie highlighted the importance of making sure homes - particularly for vulnerable people - are built in a safe place, that they do not give rise to flood risk elsewhere and that people and the environment are protected from serious flooding. Whilst the risk of flooding can never be eliminated, the Environment Agency is working to direct major new development away from those areas at highest flood risk.
He said: "The first lecture of this series last night encouraged a lively debate about the acceptable level of risk and how we can work together to ensure the built environment is resilient to flooding keeping people and properties safe.
“We look forward to taking part in future lectures and the discussion from these debates will feed into the production of the National Flood and Coastal Risk Strategy that is required as part of the Floods and Water Management Bill."
The Inter-Institutional Flood Risk Management Group aims to promote flood management and flood resilience across all sectors of the built environment. It is formed by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), the Landscape Institute and the Chartered Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM).
Later lectures in the series will explore subjects such as community engagement and empowerment in mitigating the effects of flood events, the role of the insurance industry in flood resilience and recovery, adaptive architecture for the flood plan, and an examination of international best practice in managing flood risk in the built environment. The second lecture will take place in the summer, details yet to be confirmed.
Please go to www.rusi.org/events for more information.
Media contact: .
Emily Beadon,
ICE Media Relations,
t: 020 7665 2261,
e: emily.beadon@ice.org.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS
- The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) was founded in 1818 to ensure professionalism in civil engineering. It represents 80,000 qualified and student civil engineers in the UK and across the globe. The ICE has long worked with the government of the day to help it to achieve its objectives, and has worked with industry to ensure that construction and civil engineering remain major contributors to the UK economy and UK exports.
- The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) is an independent think-tank for defence and security. RUSI is a unique institution; founded in 1831 by the Duke of Wellington, it embodies nearly two centuries of forward thinking, free discussion and careful reflection on defence and security matters. For more visit www.rusi.org