December 2020
Price: £95 PLUS VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
***Full-scale policy conference taking place online***
This conference is examining priorities and next steps for flood and coastal erosion risk management, in the context of the Government’s long-term plan to tackle the risks of flooding and coastal erosion, and the Environment Agency’s National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England.
The discussion is bringing stakeholders together with key policy officials who are due to attend from Defra; BEIS; the Cabinet Office; DfT; MHCLG; the ORR; Ofwat; the NAO; The Scottish Government; and the Welsh Government.
The agenda:
- Priorities for implementing the National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England
- Latest thinking on the impact of climate change on flooding and priorities for mitigation and adaption
- Key points from the NAO report on flood risk management
- Climate-resilient development across the country - innovation, investment, and opportunities for upgrading, maintaining and expanding flood defences and infrastructure in England
- Priorities for developing an affordable flood insurance market
- A joined-up approach to flood risk management - the role of the water industry, promoting nature-based solutions in flood prevention and resilience, and priorities for engaging and incentivising stakeholders
The context at a glance:
- Flood and coastal erosion risk management: policy statement - government’s long term plan:
- confirmed in the National Infrastructure Strategy - just published by HM Treasury, alongside the response to the National Infrastructure Assessment from the NIC
- committing £5.2bn by 2027 to improve protection for properties and resilience to flooding risk and coastal erosion with a focus on land management and nature-based strategies
- National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy for England - the Environment Agency charting the future of FCERM readiness and resilience
- Independent review of flood insurance in Doncaster - by Amanda Blanc looking at barriers to gaining cover, with recommendations being considered by ministers, including on help, guidance and signposting from insurers, landlords and local authorities, to support people to make more informed decisions
- Surface water and drainage: review of responsibilities - government taking forward recommendations including on advice to decision-makers, responsibilities and long-term investment
- Letter: Flood and Coastal Resilience Standards - to the Environment Secretary from the CCC, NIC and Flood Re calling for national resilience standards
Key areas for discussion:
- taking forward the Environment Agency’s new national strategy which is centered around the three ambitions of:
- climate-resilient places
- making growth and infrastructure resilient to climate in the future
- being a nation prepared to respond,
- policy development - what is needed in the Government’s long term plan and the EA strategy for national resilience to flooding and climate changes including the contribution of resilience standards
- economic impact - how flood defenses can be developed to make the most of their potential contribution to growth and recovery
- levelling up - ensuring investment reaches across the country and that areas are not left behind
- infrastructure policy - assessing the National Infrastructure Strategy and priorities for upgrading, maintaining and expanding flood defenses and infrastructure in England
- established infrastructure - development of adaptive pathways for local areas, and what building back better means for future resilience in local places
- new build - improving planning, and priorities for development of infrastructure that is sustainable and climate resilient and maximizing environmental net gain within new development proposals
- innovation - how new approaches and technology for development of climate resilient places and buildings can be encouraged and scaled up, including support for innovators
- stakeholder engagement - the communication, education initiatives and community engagement improvements needed to make communities more prepared to responding to flooding
- collaboration:
- how can stakeholders in the water industry, infrastructure, local government and elsewhere effectively work together to prevent avoidable flooding
- strategies for promoting collaboration between land managers, water companies, local communities and those involved in sustainable drainage systems.
- nature-based solutions including increasing the involvement of agriculture in flood resilience efforts, working alongside other stakeholders in local areas on flood risk management.
- global Influence - how the UK response to flooding and coastal erosion needs to develop to be recognised as leading in the research and management of flood and coastal erosion
Policy officials attending:
Our forums are known for attracting strong interest from policymakers and stakeholders. Places have been reserved by parliamentary pass-holders from the House of Commons, and officials from Defra; BEIS; the Cabinet Office; Department for Transport; Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government; the Office of Rail and Road; Ofwat; the National Audit Office; The Scottish Government; and the Welsh Government.
Overall, we expect speakers and attendees to be a senior and informed group including Members of both Houses of Parliament, senior central government officials involved in this area of public policy, non-departmental government bodies, councils, engineers, drainage authorities, water companies, infrastructure developers and managers, consultants, flood-awareness bodies, housing developers, land managers, residents groups, insurers and the construction industry, and rural industry representatives, universities, research organisations and academics, together with reporters from the national and trade media.
This is a full-scale conference taking place online***
- full, four-hour programme including comfort breaks - you’ll also get a full recording to refer back to
- information-rich discussion involving key policymakers and stakeholders
- conference materials provided in advance, including speaker biographies
- speakers presenting via webcam, accompanied by slides if they wish, using the Cisco WebEx professional online conference platform (easy for delegates - we’ll provide full details)
- opportunities for live delegate questions and comments with all speakers
- a recording of the addresses, all slides cleared by speakers, and further materials, is made available to all delegates afterwards as a permanent record of the proceedings
- delegates are able to add their own written comments and articles following the conference, to be distributed to all attendees and more widely
- networking too - there will be opportunities for delegates to e-meet and interact - we’ll tell you how!
Full information and guidance on how to take part will be sent to delegates before the conference
