Rising Waters

The melting of land-based ice on our planet and the warming of our oceans means that sea level is rising on most of the Earth’s coasts, meanwhile storm surges and tsunamis threaten coastal communities causing extreme coastal flooding and erosion at very short notice. Hear the basic facts about sea level rise, storm surges and tsunamis, as well as how we can protect ourselves from their impact using the latest scientific insights into how water flows around and over our shorelines.

This talk discusses the proposition of a town that remains open to the sea whilst safe from it. Our coastline serves as a crucial economic, transport, cultural, recreational and agricultural threshold; however, with the impacts of climate change, this boundary is facing increasing threats and pressure to adapt. Here I discuss a variety of adaptation strategies applicable to coastal communities worldwide. These have a range of benefits as we move towards an increasingly uncertain future.

Floods account for 40% of all natural disasters in the world and 50% of the deaths they cause. Besides, extreme weather events associated with climate change may significantly enhance the magnitude of runoff, resulting in greater flood risks in urban areas. This talk will focus on how modelling and geo-spatial analysis could help to understand the behaviours and the potential negative consequences of river flooding in urban areas, as a foundation for future flood risk mitigation planning.

Don't miss the opportunity to learn how to measure waves and feel the salt marsh plants that can help protect our coasts!

Our scientists, Iris Möller, James Tempest, and others will bring real equipment that has been used to understand how salt marshes can play a key role in buffering our coastline from waves and high water levels.