Flood & Coast 2025 Awards Dinner: celebrating innovation and excellence in climate resilience

19 June 2025

CIWEM, and award partners The Environment Agency, are delighted to announce The Flood & Coast Award winners at the Flood & Coast Awards Dinner, sponsored by WSP and Binnies

The prestigious Flood & Coast 2025 Awards Dinner, produced by The Environment Agency and the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), recently gathered industry leaders, innovators and change-makers in Telford to recognise and honour the outstanding achievements shaping the future of flood and coastal resilience across the UK and internationally.

This year's awards recognised vital work from the past year that has significantly contributed to managing flood and coastal risk, building local flood resilience and addressing climate change. These are the celebrated individuals, organisations and projects that are pushing boundaries in climate adaptation, community engagement and sustainable development.

The evening featured the presentation of three distinct award categories: the Environment Agency’s Flood and Coast Excellence Awards, CIWEM’s Spotlight Awards, and the Women in Flooding and Coastal Erosion Risk management (WiFCERM) Awards.

And the winners were:

The Environment Agency, Flood & Coast Excellence Awards 2025

This year’s Excellence Awards recognised outstanding achievements in engineering, innovation, digital development and climate resilience:

• Climate Resilient Places (over £3 million) – Holderness Flood Alleviation Scheme, East Hull Pumping Station and Castle Hill Flood Storage
• Climate Resilient Places (under £3 million) – Southern Water and the residents of the Pan Parishes
• Community Action – Glasson Dock Property Flood Resilience
• Digital Excellence – National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA2)
• Innovation in Climate Resilience – The Rochdale Flood Poverty Project
• Surface Water Management – Devon Resilience Innovation Project
• Working with Nature – Stronger Shores
• Early Career Professional – Katie Hargrave–Smith

CIWEM Spotlight Awards: People, Planet, Possibility

The CIWEM Spotlight Awards celebrated individuals advancing progress across three vital themes: People, Planet, and Possibility.

People - Celebrating individuals who uplift and support others across the flood and coastal resilience community

• Winner: Jim Hutchison (Balfour Beatty)
• Highly commended: Sara Alexander (Environment Agency)
• Finalists: Jack Southon (WSP), Ammar Ahmed (Binnies), Natalie McIldowie (Jacobs)

Planet - Recognising those who champion environmental progress, influence sustainable practices and lead by example in protecting our planet

• Winners: Emma Carter (Arup) and Izzy Drewett (Mott MacDonald)
• Highly commended: Emma Stevens (Binnies)
• Finalists: Emma Stevens, Izzy Drewett, Emma Carter

Possibility - Recognising innovators and leaders turning challenges into opportunities

• Winner: Sarah Parkington (Rochdale Borough Council)
• Highly commended: Peter Robinson (AECOM)
• Finalists: Gareth Boyd (Watertight), Roisin Gilliland O’Doherty (Jacobs), Patricia Cuervo Uría (Binnies), Alejandro García García (Binnies)

Women in FCERM Awards – Sponsored by the Environment Agency

The Women in FCERM Awards celebrate professionals of all genders, organisations and stages of their career in the FCERM sector who are making a real difference to gender equality in the workplace and across the industry.

Rising Star Award

• Winner: Dr Kate Smith (Hull University)
• Highly commended: Phoebe Clayson-Lavelle (WSP) and Claudia Beer-Davies (Jacobs)

Equality Leadership Award

• Winner: Youvrani Thimmegowda (AECOM)
• Highly commended: Natalie McIldowie (Jacobs)

Laura Baird Special Recognition Award

• Winner: Debs Nutt (Arcadis)
• Highly commended: Roisin Gilliland O’Doherty (Jacobs)

These awards shine a spotlight on the individuals and teams making a real difference in flood and coastal resilience and gender equality in the sector.

Flood & Coast is the UK's industry-leading annual event for organisations and professionals working in flood and coastal erosion risk management.

Produced by CIWEM, Flood & Coast brings together professionals from across the FCERM community worldwide to share, debate and celebrate innovative solutions aimed at helping the people and places most at risk from flooding and coastal erosion.

Flood & Coast will return next year in Liverpool! Exhibition and sponsorship packages are currently available. For further information or to discuss an opportunity, please contact: Lee Morris Sales Director, Syon +44 (0) 203 900 0102 ciwemevents@syonmedia.com.

For more information, please contact events@ciwem.org.