february 2006

20-02-2006
Safecoast workshop on climate change: March 27-29, 2006

Within the scope of project Safecoast, Rijkswaterstaat / RIKZ is organising a workshop about coastal flood risks in the North Sea region in relation to climate change and spatial planning

Why?
The prospect of increasing coastal flood risks due to rising sea levels and pressure of spatial developments in low lying areas lead to questions that look beyond the measures of coastal defences alone. What are most likely scenarios for climate change related to flood risks? What oppertunities are there to adopt the flood risk approach in terms of spatial planning? And what are current practices in coastal safety in the countries surrounding the North Sea? What challenges will we be facing in 2050? And: what can we do now to anticipate them? Answering a couple of these questions together gives a chance to exchange ideas and best practices. We can probably learn from eachother.

Who?
Under the auspices of the North Sea Coastal Managers Group and the support of the EU Interreg 3b North Sea programme, five countries along the North Sea (UK, NL, DE, DK and B) joined forces in project Safecoast to exchange their knowledge about coastal risk management. This first workshop relating to flood risks, climate change and spatial planning is organised by the Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management, Rijkswaterstaat / RIKZ. During this workshop different experts from the fields of coastal risk management, climate change and spatial planning are invited.

How?
Some information on climate change scenarios and spatial scenarios, which has already been collected by Safecoast, will be available on forehand. This workshop will not be a traditional conference-like meeting. Among others, in a so-called Group Decision Room discussion is provoked by means of tools of modern communication technology.

Specific discussion points:

Climate change: facts or fantasy?
Meaning of flood-risk in different countries;
State of the art on the information (on both hazards and impacts now and future) about climate change scenarios and spatial development. This is including differences by country, overall ambition etc;
Links between flood hazards and spatial planning in North Sea Region (policies, planning responsibilities etc.);
Differences of the scenarios; Similarities of the scenarios;
Feasibility of one common climate change scenario for North Sea Region.

When?
The workshop will take place from 27th untill 29th of March, 2006

Where?
The group of external experts and the Safecoast partners will be brought together in the so-called Future Center ‘Het Buitenhuis’, in the center of The Hague, the Netherlands. And the hotel will be the Park Hotel Den Haag, on 1 km distance from ‘Het Buitenhuis’.

19-02-2006
Environment Agency tries to halt major developments in flood risk zone

Releasing its 2004-05 Development and Flood Risk Report, the United Kingdom’s Environment Agency urges local authorities to heed the Government’s sustainable development policies on flood risk and avoid development that places people and property at risk.

This annual monitoring report from the Environment Agency together with the Local Government Association records the performance of all local authorities in England on developments where the agency has provided flood risk advice. “Over five million people and two million homes and businesses are currently at risk from flooding in England and Wales”, said Barbara Young chief executive of the Environment Agency. “Recent storms and drought have shown how vulnerable we are to the weather – illustrated by the floods last summer in Europe and the events in New Orleans.” Source: www.ciob.org.uk