37. Professor Carolyn Roberts – the Next Big UK Flood: Britain Underwater

This was the second lecture in the series given by Water Conservator Carolyn Roberts for Gresham
College, held on 12 November. The evidence for major flooding: sea, surface and ground water was sobering, and made her previous lecture A Body in the River look light-hearted. Modern techniques provide the basis for a rational assessment of flood risk, but the results are highly dependent on uncertain future temperature rises. The more rapid the change, the higher the impact.

In recent reviews by the World Economic Forum, flooding remains one of the world’s largest problems, and appears near the top of global economic risks. Some strategies were outlined – from do nothing because in the medium term actions will be overtaken by weather events, or try to construct your way out of the problem. This is difficult because flood defences are only as strong as the weakest point. More details at:
 http://www.gresham.ac.uk/frank-jackson-professor-of-the-environment