It is with great pleasure that I write this Foreword as the 25th Chairman of the NI branch of CIWEM. I would like to pay tribute to ongoing work of the local committee. We enthusiastically support the work of CIWEM as we are driven by a simple and shared aim, which is to work for the public benefit for a clean, green and sustainable world.

The theme for my year as Chairman is 'Protecting & Enhancing Our Environment'. I have selected this as many CIWEM NI members are now actively involved in managing environmental risk, the complexity of which is ever increasing due to new legislation, tightening public expenditure budgets, new ways of environmental regulation, a greater demand for resources, a requirement for our industry to be more competitive, and climate change.

Some of these risks are illustrated by the extreme weather experienced over the past 2 years:

• Rainfall: In November 2009, after 42 days of rain, the water levels in the Erne system reached their highest ever level. Months later in June 2010 NIEA asked NI Water to stop abstracting waster from the Derg River due to the low river flows.
• Temperature: December 2010 was the coldest December in over 100 years (in a year which was one of the 2 warmest globally since records began - shared with 1998). Only a few months later, April 2011 was the warmest April in England since records began (with records going back to 1659).

The improved management of environmental risk is essential to enable the ongoing sustainable development of Northern Ireland. Our effectiveness increases when we work together to develop innovative shared solutions.

The 2011/12 programme has been designed to provide a wide range of opportunities for members to convey and develop technical knowledge, and to network with colleagues from all sectors, including private & public sector clients, consultants & contractors, and academia.

In summary:

• In September the annual morning conference will focus on the role of risk-based regulation in managing a sustainable water cycle, with contributions from nine speakers.
   
• Between October 2011 and May 2012 there will be six evening technical meetings, which include joint meetings with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and Institute of Water Officers (IW). I am particularly looking forward to the meeting on Monday 9 January 2012 at which three speakers from The Met Office, HR Wallingford and DOE (NI) will present a summary of the findings of the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (UKCCRA) and the NI Adaptation Programme.
   
• In March 2012 the joint North / South visit will be to the Mourne Mountains and study how investments made over a 100 year period continue to provide clean wholesome drinking water for much of NI.
   
• The 'New Members' papers competition later in March is another highlight as it provides a real opportunity for younger members to hone essential writing and presentation skills.
   
• The social programme includes three golf outings and a table quiz for Water Aid.
   
• The Annual Dinner will be in early May of next year. To celebrate the centenary of the sinking of the Titanic (as the River Lagan Tours guide will remind you: 'Made in Belfast, Sunk by an Englishman'), this years AGM will be in the Titanic Quarter.

On behalf of the Branch Committee, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank our booklet Sponsors. Without this sponsorship, we would be unable to operate such an interesting and diverse programme of events.

Finally, I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible in the forthcoming year.

Thank you

Paddy Brow

Chairman, CIWEM NI Branch, 2011-2012