Fifty years ago, on the night of 31 January to 1 February 1953, a storm surge in the southern North Sea resulted in catastrophic flooding on the coasts of England and the Netherlands, claiming over 2,000 lives. Today (23 May 2003) a Cambridge-organised international conference will review the flood risks which we now face and how we can best deal with them.

The Big Flood is an international scientific meeting organised by the Cambridge University Centre for Risk in the Built Environment (CURBE) and is taking place at the Royal Society.

Although sea defences were strengthened and raised in both countries after the 1953 floods, and no comparable event has happened since, the threat of another major disaster has not been eliminated. The risk today may have increased due to a sea-level rise resulting from climate change, the age of sea defences, extensive development in vulnerable areas, and a lack of awareness of flood vulnerability.

With speakers from around the North Sea basin, today's meeting will discuss the climatology of extreme events, shallow sea oceanography, floods, global environmental change, disaster loss estimation and London's vulnerability to such an event. Other issues covered include human impacts of disasters (including infrastructure, social and public health impacts of a major flood), and risk and disaster management.

Comparisons and contrasts of the way different North Sea countries approach storm surge floods, potential impacts, and mitigation approaches will complement the wide range of perspectives and views represented.

Member of the organising committee, Professor Robin Spence, Director of CURBE, said:

"By bringing together different fields and skills, The Big Flood will indicate not only strengths and weaknesses in fundamental research but also how research results could be translated into practical outputs for industry, policy makers, and the public".

Key speakers include Lord Hunt of Chesterton; Herman Gerritsen of WL Delft in the Netherlands; Professor Jacquie McGlade of UCL; Dr Gerhard Berz of Munich Reinsurance; Dr Peter Baxter of Cambridge University's Institute of Public Health; Guus Stelling from TU Delft; Sarah Lavery of the Environment Agency; Professor Roger Flather of the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory; and Robert Muir-Wood from RMS Ltd.

Image copyright of Ilan Kelman


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