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14th Brunel International Lecture Series: South-East Asia

Event organised by ICE

Date
05 July 2023
Time

This event has now ended

Overview

The ICE, together with the International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI), invites you to the South-East Asia region lecture of our 14th Brunel International Lecture series. 

South-East Asia is made up of 11 countries and is home to nearly 700m people. Prone to natural disasters such as typhoons and flooding, this area is also feeling the effects of climate change and migration more than most. 

With a coastline in excess of 36,000km, the Philippines is experiencing higher than average sea level changes when compared to the rest of world, whilst growing rural to urban migration is placing a higher burden on city infrastructure in cities such as Manila, Jakarta, and Bangkok.

Problems around land use, transportation, sanitation, and the impacts of climate change are only set to intensify. With this backdrop, we’re pleased that Abigail Binay, Mayor of Makati, (part of the greater urban area of Manila), Philippines and Board Member of the Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM) will join as our keynote speaker.

Set within this framework of a changing climate, Mayor Binay will outline how cities such as Makati will need to develop a multi layered approach to resilience planning and climate change mitigation.

Join us as we look at the specific challenges faced by cities like Makati, what change is needed, and how that change fits with issues local to the region such as resource management, engineering solutions, and best practice.

Hosted by ICE Vice President David Porter, this lecture will highlight the importance of climate equity and support for cities in emerging economies and identify capacity deficits specific to South-East Asia that should be prioritised to ensure the development of equitable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure. We will also hear about innovative engineering solutions that advance implementation of sustainability and resilience in infrastructure within the region.

As well as the keynote address from Mayor Binay of Makati, David Porter will moderate the interactive panel discussion with an expert line-up which includes:

  • Atlas Fung, Associate Director – Transport and Water – Asia, Atkins.
  • April J. Lander, Director Region 10, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), ASCE Representative to the Asian Civil Engineering Coordinating Council (ACECC).
  • David Meigh, Water Resources and Irrigation Specialist, Independent Consultant currently working for the Asian Development Bank, ICE Indonesian Country Representative.
  • Er. Tan Seng Chuan, Emeritus President of IES, Executive Vice President of WFEO, Chairman and Managing Director of TEMBUSU Asia Consulting Pte Ltd.

Mitigation and adaptation efforts are both necessary for tackling the impact of climate change, however the latter is often overshadowed by the former. It is important to tackle the impact of climate change whilst preparing for the future with resilient infrastructure but set within the confines of what works within the local or regional geography.

The lectures will provide a platform for dialogue with high-profile leaders across the globe, while focusing on practical engineering issues in tackling climate change at the local level.

To catch up on any of the previous lectures, please visit the ICE Brunel International Lecture Series page.

Sponsored by:

AtkinsRéalis

AtkinsRéalis

AtkinsRéalis is a world-leading professional services and project management company dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people.

With support from:

International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI)

International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI)

This coalition continues to broaden participation across other stakeholder communities to accelerate innovation, adoption and scaling of strategic resilient and sustainable infrastructure solutions built upon a commitment to tangible and collaborative action.

Programme

11:00 - 11:10

Welcome by David Porter, Vice President – Learning Society, Institution of Civil Engineers

11:10 - 11:30

Keynote address by Abigail Binay, Mayor of Makati, Philippines

11:30 - 11:35

Q&A with Abigail Binay

11:35 - 11:55

Introduction to panellists and panellist remarks

11:55 - 12:25

Panel discussion and Q&A chaired by David Porter

12:25 - 12:30

Closing remarks and thanks by David Porter

12:30

Event close

Speakers

David Porter

David Porter

Institution of Civil Engineers

vice president

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David Porter

David Porter is vice president of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and, subject to interim annual election by Council, will become ICE President in November 2025. As vice president he has responsibility for the ICE’s Learning Society activity.

Porter is director of engineering for the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) in its Transport and Road Asset Management core group, which is the roads authority for Northern Ireland. In this position, he is chief highways engineer and head of the civil engineering profession in the Northern Ireland civil service.

Previously, Porter was chief executive of the Rivers Agency, the flood defence and drainage authority for Northern Ireland.

He is a chartered civil engineer and an ICE Fellow. He has served on the ICE Council and on numerous other committees and panels.

David Meigh

David Meigh

ICE Indonesian Country Representative

Water Resources and Irrigation Specialist

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David Meigh

David Meigh is an experienced water resources, hydraulic structures, flood management, and irrigation specialist who has carried out short technical inputs and led projects in South-East Asia, East Asia, Nigeria, and the UK. His skills cover the fields of IWRM, river basin planning, flood risk management studies and design, bulk water studies for water supply, all aspects of irrigation development and management, and the design of hydraulic structures.

David is currently working on the introduction of nature-based solutions (NBS) into flood risk management projects and advising on modernising irrigation in Indonesia to provide resilience against climate change.  

Abigail Binay

Abigail Binay

Philippines

mayor of makati

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Abigail Binay

Mar-Len Abigail S. Binay was elected Mayor of Makati in 2016, after serving nine years in Congress as Representative of the 2nd District of Makati. As the city’s chief executive, Mayor Abby has endeavored to restore efficiency, responsiveness, and compassion in the delivery of services.

She jumpstarted Makati's digital transformation by integrating modern technology into the systems and operations of the city government to enhance Makati’s overall competitiveness and build resilience and sustainability. 

She graduated from the University of the Philippines – Los Baños and took up law at the Ateneo School of Law. She passed the bar in 2002.

April J Lander

April J Lander

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

Director Region 10

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April J Lander

April Lander is an Envision Sustainability Professional and independent contractor with 35 years of experience managing international projects and partnerships, providing strategic advice, and delivering training.

April has been active in numerous sustainable engineering activities. She led the development of the world’s first infrastructure certification framework requiring projects to meet sustainable development criteria; advances ethics and inclusion, and she chairs a committee that shares engineering practices to address climate change and water resource issues in Asia. 

April serves as ASCE Board of Direction Region 10 Director (all countries outside North America) and ASCE’s Representative to the Asian Civil Engineering Coordinating Council.

Atlas Fung

Atlas Fung

Atkins

associate director, transport and water, asia

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Atlas Fung

Atlas Fung is an all-round infrastructure advisory consultant with more than 10 years’ experience in the UK, Middle East, and Asia Pacific.

As the Atkins Global Engineering Net Zero Champion for Asia, he leads carbon and sustainability consultancy work for the region. He brings together Atkins’ multi-disciplinary expertise in the engineering space, geographical reach, and technical capabilities to understand client challenges in various sectors and markets and to create sustainable solutions.

Atlas relocated to Singapore in 2016 to set-up Atkins’ global infrastructure advisory division, where he expanded service offerings from transport to urban planning, future mobility, water and environment, climate change, decarbonisation, and to new geographies including Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Tan Seng Chuan

Tan Seng Chuan

WFEO

executive vice president

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Tan Seng Chuan

Er. Tan Seng Chuan is a registered Professional Engineer (Civil) and Chartered Engineer (Environment & Water) in Singapore; a registered Chartered Professional Engineer (Civil) in Australia, an ASEAN Chartered Professional Engineer and a registered APEC Engineer. He is also a GRI Certified Sustainability Professional and an ISO14064 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Accounting Lead Verifier.

He has accumulated extensive professional experience in sustainability, environmental, engineering, and programme management across the sectors of sustainability, climate change, environmental, water and wastewater, energy & power, built environment, chemical & petrochemical and oil & gas; as well as in industrial plant, mass rapid transit and other infrastructure projects in the Asia Pacific region.

Er. Tan is now the Emeritus President of IES and Executive Vice President of WFEO. He presently also serves as Chairman and Managing Director of TEMBUSU Asia Consulting Pte Ltd, a leading sustainability consultancy company in Asia focusing on the development of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.