Rivers and Coastal Group 75th Anniversary Technical Conference 2025 | LONDON | IN-PERSON

Hosted by the CIWEM Rivers and Coastal Group

Event description

We are delighted to announce the 75^th anniversary of our Technical Conference will be taking place in London this year. The conference will focus on challenges faced with policy and associated uncertainty within the rivers and coastal space.

The event will include a mixture of presentations, panel sessions and workshops.

CIWEM members and non-members are welcome.

Please note that there will be a photographer present during this event and these photos may be used for publicity and marketing purposes to promote CIWEM. Please let the organisers know on the day if you do not want to be included in any of these images.

Part of the CIWEM Rivers and Coastal series.

Why attend the conference?

The conference is open to those with an interest in finding out more about policy and the challenges faced in the rivers and coastal sector.

• Hear from the experts on river and coastal policy.
• Obtain an overview of the latest developments in policy, strategy, science and best practice relating to rivers and coastal systems.
• Participate in interactive workshops.
• Share knowledge and experience with others in the profession and maintain your CPD.
• Network with a wide range of professionals from across the public and private sector.

Programme

10:00 – 10:15

Welcome and introduction to the conference

Hannah Burgess | President | CIWEM and Regional Delivery Director, Flood, Coast and Maritime | Binnies

Peter O'Flaherty | Chair | CIWEM Rivers and Coastal Group Committee and Practice Manager | AtkinsRéalis

10:15 - 11:00

SESSION 1 | Panel Discussion

Translating flood risk management policy into practice.

Chair
Elisabetta Torricelli | Senior Technical Director Water Management Capability Lead (D&E) | Arcadis

Panellists
Priscilla Hazelhurst | Clerk & Engineer | Lower Medway Internal Drainage Board
Claire Gibson | Associate Technical Director | Arcadis
David Bedlington | River Thames Scheme Client | Environment Agency
Doug Hill | Flood and Climate Resilience Manager, Surrey County Council | ADEPT Flood and Water Management Group Chair
Doug Pender | Technical Director (Marine and Coastal Risk Management) | JBA Consulting

A look at flood risk policy - the priorities and drivers, how uncertainty plays a role and how we implement policy. Where are we now? what are the challenges? how do the challenges express themselves and how do we deal with them? The panel will discuss a number of pre-prepared questions from the Rivers and Coastal Group Committee.

11:00 – 11:30 | Tea, Coffee and refreshments break

11:30 - 12:30

SESSION 2 | Presentation

Navigating uncertainty: quantifying & communicating hydrometric data challenges" and "Now you see it, now you don't – practical uncertainty in water quality data

Chair
Selena Peters | Programme Executive (Flood Hydrology Improvements Programme) | Environment Agency

Presenters
Dr Sara Alexander | Senior Hydrologist (Flood Hydrology Improvements Programme) | Environment Agency
Dr Mike Dunbar | Chemical Statistician (Chief Scientist’s Group) | Environment Agency

A focus on data uncertainty in water quantity and water quality, aiming to show that some challenges are similar and encouraging more sharing between areas. This session will include space for questions on the topics discussed.

12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch

13:30 - 14:15

SESSION 3 | Workshop

Application of flood risk policy in planning.

Presenters
Peter Rook | Junior President | CIWEM and Principal Analyst |JBA Consulting
James Trafford | Junior Vice Chair | CIWEM Rivers and Coastal Group and Regional Director (Water and Environment North) | Waterman Aspen

This session will group delegates together to discuss a number of areas of flood risk policy and its application before coming back together to review as a group.

14:15 – 14:30 | Tea, Coffee and refreshments break

14:30 - 15:15

SESSION 4 | Presentation

Postcards from the Edge: the challenges and best practice in moving from policy to delivery in the coastal space

Presenters
Dr Paul Canning | Associate Director & Technical Authority (Coastal and Marine Environment) | AtkinsRealis
Hannah Burgess | President | CIWEM and Regional Delivery Director (Flood, Coast and Maritime) | Binnies

A look at 'Postcards from the Edge' and building from this into the technical elements we use to develop management at the coast, uncertainties and interactions. This will look at some aspects of coastal modelling/judgement (hydrodynamics, geomorphology, natural/built feature response etc) leading into a look at adaptation delivery from SMP2/strategy through OBC, FBC, build and monitoring and how this is concluded at different locations - challenges / observations / lessons learnt.

15:15 - 16:00

SESSION 5 | Panel Discussion

From Planning Policy to Resilience: Unpacking Flood Risk and Insurance.

Chair
Hannah Lewis | Vice Chair | CIWEM Rivers and Coastal Group and Senior Flood Risk Analyst | Lloyds Banking Group

Panellists
Peter O’Flaherty | Chair | CIWEM Rivers and Coastal Group and Practice Manager | AtkinsRéalis
Dr Karen Potter | Visiting Fellow, Associate Lecturer Environment and Research Fellow Project Groundwater | Open University
Martin Lennon | Head of Transition | Flood Re

A panel discussion that will explore the complex relationships between the challenges of implementing flood risk policy through the planning system and its downstream impacts on community flood resilience. We will examine how planning policy affects homeowners' ability to obtain insurance and discuss potential collaboration and innovation to address these issues.

16:00 - 16:15

Closing remarks

Hannah Burgess | President | CIWEM and Regional Delivery Director, Flood, Coast and Maritime | Binnies
Peter O'Flaherty | Chair | CIWEM Rivers and Coastal Group Committee and Practice Manager | AtkinsRéalis

A reflection on the days events, what lessons we can learn and how we can share our learnings via our ripple.

16:15 | Close

Booking and joining information

This event is open to members and non-members of CIWEM.

Please note there is limited capacity at this event. Bookings must be made through 'My CIWEM' using the above booking link. Non-members who have not registered for the MyCIWEM system can create an account on the booking page in order to reserve their place.

If you have any questions about your booking or would like to cancel your attendance, please contact barbara.woods@ciwem.org.

Please note that registrations close at 9:00 am, two working days before the event is to take place. If you have not registered by then, unfortunately we cannot add you to the event.

If you have any queries about the conference, please contact the Rivers and Coastal Group organiser at rcg@ciwem.org.

About the venue and getting there

The event will take place at the Arcadis office, 80 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 4BY. The venue is only a few minutes’ walk from Fenchurch Street railway station and Aldgate tube station and several bus routes run near the venue.

Travelling to the venue

As part of CIWEM’s commitment to tackling the climate and ecological emergency we encourage delegates to use the most environmentally sustainable means of transport possible.

By Train | Underground | Tram

Fenchurch Street and Liverpool Street railway stations are the nearest mainline railway stations to the Arcadis office. c2c trains go to Fenchurch Street Station railway station and c2c, Greater Anglian, Stanstead Express, LfT Trains and London Overground services operate from Liverpool Street for all those coming from outside the city.

Metropolitan and Circle lines run to Aldgate tube station, which is the nearest underground station to the Arcadis offices, for those travelling into London.

By Bus | Coach

The no. 78, 42, 149, 43, 383 bus routes run near the Arcadis office.

By foot | cycle

The venue is only three minutes’ walk from Fenchurch Street railway station and Aldgate tube station. The Arcadis office is 12 and 20 minutes’ walk from Liverpool Street and London Bridge railway stations respectively and seven minutes’ cycle ride from London Bridge.

By car

If you are coming by car, please consider sharing the journey with others to reduce your environmental footprint.

As this is an in-person event, please remain vigilant to control the spread of COVID-19 and stay safe.

We request that if you think you might have contracted COVID or have recently had the disease, that you do not attend the conference.

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