Dublin City Council will host an international conference on –
SAFER ( Strategies and Actions for Flood Emergency Risk Management) Project in Dublin on 23rd and 24th April 2008 at the Carlton Airport Hotel, Dublin .
The SAFER Conference is an international conference looking at all aspects of managing the risk of flooding and incorporates international learning from Germany Scotland, Switzerland and Dublin. The five stages of addressing Flood Risk Management are Hazard Analysis, Mitigation (risk management), Planning and Preparedness, Response and Recovery.
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According to keynote speaker, Duncan Stewart, Architect, Environmentalist, and TV presenter “Climate Change is now unequivocal and weather patterns are changing and volatile. We’ll be exposed to more intense and frequent storms, ocean surges and sudden rainfall deluges. Dublin City Council who initiated this project following the big flood of 2002 will bring together the leading flood experts from Europe to discuss and learn from this project”. He will deliver a paper on flood resilience in light of climate change.
“Dublin City Council has led the way in addressing flood risk for the area with advanced mapping and an early warning system alerting us over two weeks ahead of the risk” said Lord Mayor of Dublin Councillor Paddy Bourke, “ this efficiency was demonstrated clearly on 10th March last when the coast line was at risk, and Dublin City Council addressed the risks and concerns of local people in Clontarf and Sandymount”.
“Dublin City Council has lead the way in developing a new flood strategy for the City. Central to this strategy is the SAFER philosophy developed with our International partners. Dublin now has a tidal flood early warning system, new investment in coastal protection and has an effective methodology which can be employed worldwide to protect communities from flooding” said Tom Leahy, Deputy City Engineer with responsibility for Emergency Planning.
Flooding is an act of nature and cannot be totally avoided, but multi agency co-operation can mitigate risks and impacts during the planning and early warning stages, emergency response to the flood event and the development and training of Local Co-ordination Groups can minimise the disruption to people and property. A well-planned recovery and assistance programme in the aftermath of these events minimise the emotional and financial impact on the residents and local economy.
Further information on the conference is available from Dublin City Council’s Press Office on 2222170 or 0868150010
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NOTES TO THE EDITOR
Conference Itinerary.PDF (84.2KB)