UK-US Foresight future floodingExchange workshop
Pre-Workshop scoping document Workshop attendess and programme Outcomes and Reports Planning a regional flood and erosion Foresight Study in the US |
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About the foresight exchnage between the UK and US Experts
Flood prevention agencies in the US are looking across the Atlantic for guidance on dealing with future risks from rainstorms, coastal surges and
rising sea levels.
A team of experts from the UK, led by Prof Edward Evans, travelled to Washington DC between September 15 to September 21 2008 to
showcase their work at the Foresight Future Flooding Project USA workshop.
The workshop was been organised by the Institute for Water Resources at the US Army Corps of Engineers, America’s first line of defence in flooding disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, and the UK Government Office for Science.
The workshop give the UK experts the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and technologies developed through the UK’s Foresight project, which has helped to shape the way in which flood risk management is handled at a national, regional and local level.
One of the aims of the workshop will be to brief American flooding specialists on the methods and findings of Foresight and look at ways of
possibly pursuing a similar project in the US.
Professor Colin Thorne, of The University of Nottingham’s School of Geography, said:“Heavy rainfall and storm surges cause risk to life and property through flooding as well as moving large amounts of debris and sediment, changing river courses and shorelines and damaging valuable ecosystems.”
“The US and UK face similar hazards from surface water, river and coastal flooding. The UK’s advanced skills, research and technology in flood
risk management and future planning offer a significant benefit to the US in addressing the social, environmental, economic dimensions of flooding and coastal erosion.”
“The establishment of a US/UK collaborative exchange will further raise awareness of the potential for increases in flood risks globally, while
strengthening the understanding of the issues, especially with respect to recognising the hazards that climate change and relative sea level rise may pose.”
The 2004 UK’s Foresight project on future flooding and coastal erosion risks and management looked at the potential threat from climate change and socioeconomic development and looked at potential solutions that were sustainable in terms of cost effectiveness, social justice and environmental impact.
Twelve UK experts involved in the project presented at the workshop, which aimed to:
The workshop was attended by a range of Federal and State stakeholders including the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency, the Association of State Flood Plain Managers and the National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies.
rising sea levels.
A team of experts from the UK, led by Prof Edward Evans, travelled to Washington DC between September 15 to September 21 2008 to
showcase their work at the Foresight Future Flooding Project USA workshop.
The workshop was been organised by the Institute for Water Resources at the US Army Corps of Engineers, America’s first line of defence in flooding disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, and the UK Government Office for Science.
The workshop give the UK experts the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and technologies developed through the UK’s Foresight project, which has helped to shape the way in which flood risk management is handled at a national, regional and local level.
One of the aims of the workshop will be to brief American flooding specialists on the methods and findings of Foresight and look at ways of
possibly pursuing a similar project in the US.
Professor Colin Thorne, of The University of Nottingham’s School of Geography, said:“Heavy rainfall and storm surges cause risk to life and property through flooding as well as moving large amounts of debris and sediment, changing river courses and shorelines and damaging valuable ecosystems.”
“The US and UK face similar hazards from surface water, river and coastal flooding. The UK’s advanced skills, research and technology in flood
risk management and future planning offer a significant benefit to the US in addressing the social, environmental, economic dimensions of flooding and coastal erosion.”
“The establishment of a US/UK collaborative exchange will further raise awareness of the potential for increases in flood risks globally, while
strengthening the understanding of the issues, especially with respect to recognising the hazards that climate change and relative sea level rise may pose.”
The 2004 UK’s Foresight project on future flooding and coastal erosion risks and management looked at the potential threat from climate change and socioeconomic development and looked at potential solutions that were sustainable in terms of cost effectiveness, social justice and environmental impact.
Twelve UK experts involved in the project presented at the workshop, which aimed to:
- Showcase UK experience and technologies that were gained through the Foresight study of sustainable Flood and Coastal Defence, including the impact on flood risk and coastal erosion over a long timescales;
- Build upon an existing effort to develop an MOU which is being pursued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and DEFRA/EA. Brief US experts on methodology and findings of the Foresight Future Flooding project and ways of pursuing such a project in the USA.
- Engage and exchange experiences with US experts and stakeholders responsible for engineering, management and policymaking in the field of integrated flood risk management, including climate change.
- Discuss the UK/ US experience in flood management and initiate a discussion on possibilities of developing a project in partnership with British academics and consultants.
- Identify possible mechanisms for research cooperation and exchanges in implementation of the Foresight methodology in the USA.
The workshop was attended by a range of Federal and State stakeholders including the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency, the Association of State Flood Plain Managers and the National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies.