29 March 2011
An engineering and environmental expert from consultancy, WYG will explain the importance of planning policies and legislation in achieving an attractive flood resilient and adaptable urban environment at the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Managers (CIWEM) conference in London next week.
The annual two-day conference, entitled ‘Big Society: Future Environment’, takes place on 6 - 7 April at the Olympia Conference Centre, and will address multi-disciplinary issues across all areas of the global water and environment sector. It will also focus on the issues of the ‘Big Society’ and the implications for the environment sector.
WYG’s Matthew Elliott, an engineering and environmental consultant with over 25 years experience in the field, will present on the topic of ‘Flood Alleviation by Facilitated Mutation to Resilience’, highlighting the importance of the transitional nature of the urban environment on new approaches to the management of flood risk in cities. He will show how economically driven change can be harnessed and directed through planning policies and new legislation to achieve an attractive flood resilient and adaptable urban environment.
Matthew said: “If we want to adapt and improve how we manage flood risk we must start thinking economically and integrate this into the planning process and through legislation.
“In the right circumstances this approach can avoid the need for the construction of expensive and intrusive flood defence schemes thus allowing investment to be directed into other areas of greater need.”
The aim of the conference is to challenge and inspire the water and environmental community by sharing knowledge and best practice, which is at the heart of meeting key global challenges.
Over 350 representatives from the water and environment sector are expected to attend including Minister for Natural Environment and Fisheries, Richard Benyon MP and Tony Juniper, campaigner, writer, sustainability adviser, environmentalist and former Executive Director of Friends of the Earth.
Other attendees include Chief Executive of RSPB, Dr Mike Clarke, Phil Rothwell, (Head of Strategy and Engagement, Environment Agency) as well as other industry leaders to address some of the current issues.
Matthew lectures on behalf of Central Law Training and provides professional support to a range of public bodies. He has been closely involved in many projects carried out by WYG for Balfour Beatty, UK Coal, Keepmoat, Persimmon and a wide variety of commercial developers.
For further information on the conference visit, http://www.ciwem.org/events/annual-conference.aspx
