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Flood & Coast 2024: Review
Flood & Coast 2024 brought together the brightest minds under one roof for three days to examine emergency climate crisis issues from flooding to coastal erosion.
The attendance for Flood & Coast 2023 was almost 2,000 visitors, which was 30% up form 2022 but 2024 went further with 2,390 registrants, showing the pressing urgency of these issues. The three main issues from 2023 continued to dominate this year’s event:
Flooding & coastal erosion risk management in changing climates
Nature-based solutions
Surface water management
The biggest players from the flood and coastal erosion risk management (FCERM) sector met at the event from the 4th-6th June 2024 at Telford International Centre to share stories, showcase innovations and inspire ideas for the future.
One of the hottest topics was Nature-Based Solutions – also named Natural Flood Managment (NFM), which involves using ‘natural techniques’ to reduce or control flood areas. In more scientific terms, this means methods to mimic the natural functions of rivers, floodplains and the wider catchment to store water, slow the rate and help reduce flooding further downstream. This includes river and floodplain restoration such as removing barriers like embankments, or building ponds or wetlands –essentially giving water a defined place to go.
Tree Planting is another approach – with trees helping absorb rainwater through the tree root system and regulating streamflow by intercepting rainfall - thus reducing surface runoff.
Moorland Restoration sets to reverse erosion due to overgrazing by livestock, pollution and draining land for agriculture by planting heather brash, grasses and types of moss to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere. Furthermore, restored moorland helps the growth of vegetation, prevents erosion and supports the local ecosystem’s fight against heavy rainfall.
The conference session on ‘What Nature-Based Solutions Do for Us’ at Flood & Coast 2024 was one of the most well attended, thus demonstrating its appeal to many attendees from multiple sectors including NGOs, local government, flood risk and water management and infrastructure and utility management. The session was led by expert keynote speakers: Lia Moutselou, Senior Policy Lead at Consumer Council for Water (CCW) and Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive at The Rivers Trust.
The Top Exhibitor for Sustainability Today was Mackley on Stand G11: a collaborative contractor delivering river, coastal, water and complex infrastructure to build a sustainable future.
The company was established back in 1927 and in 2014 became a member of the Van Oord Group after acquisition by Van Oord UK Ltd. Working at the coalface, Mackley specialises in civil engineering projects in the following areas: coastal, fluvial, waste, water, ports, harbours, energy and infrastructure projects for both central and local government, utility companies and private clients. With a flair for innovation, Mackley likes to get stuck into complex projects such as a recent one with The Environment Agency on the River Medway. Working as a contractor, Mackley installed a brand-new footbridge (16M in length) over the river made from fibre-reinforced polymer recycled from old fishing nets. This exciting new material technology was installed in Kent at Twyford Marina, with tandem side ramps laid using a block system that negates the need for reinforced concrete walls and without mortar. The lighter weight of the bridge due to the materials used reduces the supporting foundation size, thus massively lowering the carbon footprint.
With an impressive portfolio of completed projects under its belt, this talented contractor has built-up an impressive network of partners, for example, it is the first responder for flood incidents across the South East for The Environment Agency and other Local Authorities. The fleet of plant and highly skilled staff respond on a 24/7 basis by assessing the flood damage and then implementing immediate repair work, day or night.
Another high-profile project was partnering on the award-winning Ventnor Eastern Esplanade Sea Defence Project. This mammoth undertaking involved next-level sea defences to protect homes and businesses in the area: huge ‘king posts’ in the foreshore, with expert backfilling and concrete capping to encase the aging sheet piles.
Mackley is definitely one to watch: since 1927, it has been helping protect communities around the UK from the devastating impact of climate change, whilst protecting biodiversity and water security. Mackley has equally impressive partnerships with the local students at Brighton College and prioritises championing women across the FCERM industry. This was another highlight of Flood & Coast 2024 with a large ‘Women in FCERM Networking Event’ focused on ‘Investing in Women: accelerating progress’ – which was well attended and included speakers sharing their own experiences and challenges faced in the industry.
For more information on Mackley, click here: https://mackley.co.uk
Save the date: Flood & Coast 25 3rd-5th JuneTelford International Centre
