Ahead of the Flood Risk & Defence Development Conference we’ve been hearing from a key figure in flood prevention in the East of England – Paul Burrows. Paul works as the Flood and Coastal Risk Manager for the Environment Agency’s East Anglia region…

Q. You’ve worked at the Environment Agency since 1999. Over the course of those 21 years has the impact of climate change really shown?

From my perspective it has shown in a variety of ways. The science and evidence is irrefutable and that the climate emergency features so prominently now across the policy areas of all countries and governments. On the ground, yes, we are seeing many more incidents related to either too much of too little water, often extremes in the same places. The diversity and number of environmental incidents we are seeing is also increasing year on year.

Q. Another big change over the past 20 years has been the availability of data and new technology – how has the Environment Agency adopted and integrated such things into the work you’re doing for a positive outcome? [emaillocker id=”71749″]

This makes me feel old, but when I first joined I was the only person in our office that had a CD drive in my computer and I had to get an exemption to secure internet access. When I was looking to join the Environment Agency there was so little on-line to help me research. The fact that we now are responding as a national organisation with partners, and doing so effectively working mostly from home is a real testament to how we’ve advanced.

Seeing communities and businesses actively use our data and information makes me really proud. I’m closer to the local level so seeing local community Facebook flood groups use and add value to this information to share with their communities is a brilliant enhancement from when I started in 1999.

Q. You work specifically across the East Anglia Area – what are the big challenges within the area that the Environment Agency is working to alleviate? East Anglia is also one of the fastest growing part of the country, how does this add to the challenges you’re facing?

East Anglia is on the forefront of the climate emergency, being the driest part of the country, having such a vulnerable coastline and having a very large asset base of existing flood management infrastructure – Whilst most people would categorise the area as rural, with some of the best agricultural land in the country, outside of London it holds the key to unlocking the country’s economic potential with the bulk of the OxCam ambition within East Anglia as well as part of the Thames estuary.

In my talk at the conference, I’ll be exploring how we need to think differently about growth on such a scale within places that face flood resilience challenges.

Q. At the Flood Risk & Defence Development Conference you’ll be speaking and networking alongside a number of influential names and stakeholders from across the UK – how often do you get together to share best practice and challenges across the Environment Agency but also the public and private sectors?

Being in a national organisation with both a place-based local focus as well as a national one working with government, national partners and internationally bring great benefits in terms of out-reach, learning and sharing. We do however all need to make more space for networking and keep our eyes and ears up, if we are to positively create climate resilient places and secure economic growth ambitions. This is particularly true for links with the private sector and other public sectors beyond our traditional partners in the flood management world.

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