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Waving Not Drowning? Managing Water In A Climate Emergency

Friday, May 1, 2020

[ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, event moved ONLINE ]

Waving not Drowning? Managing water in a climate emergency

Institute for Mathematical Innovation, University of Bath

Professor Carolyn Roberts lecture will review the UK's recent experiences and explore whether innovative science, technology and collaboration can provide solutions, and reduce vulnerability to floods

Date and Time
Fri, 1 May 2020
14:15 – 15:15 BST

Free Event — Register Today

Description

Britain has experienced a series of catastrophic floods in recent years, which have put thousands out of their houses for months on end, and bankrupted businesses.

About 2.4 million UK properties are now at risk of flooding from rivers or the sea, and an additional 2.8 million are susceptible to surface water flooding and sewage welling up from under the ground. That’s one in six properties — which means that the 'average' British household is allegedly more likely to be flooded than burgled.

The economic disruption of the damage is huge, with an estimated forty percent of inundated businesses not reopening. The effects on flooded residents are also acute, with serious mental health impacts being felt for years afterwards.

On top of that, the climate is shifting, and flood risk is increasing. The recent floods may be harbingers of much worse to come, particularly if we ignore the advice from experts and carry on building on floodplains.

The lecture will review the UK's recent experiences and explore whether innovative science, technology and collaboration can provide solutions, and reduce our vulnerability to floods.