You are invited to the second in our series of Water Climate Discussions at 9am BST on Thursday 10 June:
Experts from IWA, Water UK, Severn Trent, Jacobs and The Nature Conservancy will be sharing the latest developments in nature based solutions and their impacts on climate change.
They will also be asking you some big questions - we’re keen to hear about any promising innovations, and also to discuss how we make good science/policy scalable and accessible to all. We’ll be publishing your responses in a report that will shape our continued action in the run up to COP26.
Nature Based Solutions provide us an opportunity to address multiple challenges such as returning high quality water to natural water systems, providing opportunities for biodiversity and the creation of natural capital while delivering wider societal benefit.
They can be used to treat water and wastewater (removing pollutants like phosphate, ammonia, metals, glycol, hydrocarbons, pesticides, etc.) and to manage water flows. They include sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) and constructed wetlands together with parks, green roofs & walls and from street trees through woodlands to large forest catchments.
NBS contribute to the protection and enhancement of nature and natural processes by consciously integrating these into spatial planning and development, improving our quality of life while providing significant environmental benefits.
Critically for COP26, Nature Based Solutions do all this with significantly reduced energy requirements, even acting as a carbon sink as biomass accumulates. They both mitigate climate change and provide adaptation and resilience to a wide range of its effects.
Samuel Larsen
Programme Lead, Water UK
Samuel will be bringing us an overview and update on developments in Nature Based Solutions from across the UK Water Sector, and asking us how best practice in NBS can be implemented both in the UK and across the world. ...read more about Samuel
Samuel joined Water UK in 2017, having previously worked in a variety of strategy, policy and transformation roles across consultant, water company, and government organisations. He is currently leading the delivery of the UK water industry’s Net Zero 2030 Routemap – the world’s first detailed plan to reach net zero operational emissions on a sector-wide basis by 2030.
Katharine Cross
International Water Association
Katherine will be leading the discussion for IWA, bringing practical insights in the application of nature based solutions in both water and wastewater operations from across the globe, with an emphasis on how these can support climate resilience along with co-benefits for people and nature. ...read more about Katharine
Katharine has experience in water resources and environmental management from global to local scale with a focus on climate resilience and adaptation, nature-based solutions, water-energy-food nexus, water governance and the digitalisation of the water sector. She has worked in Asia, Africa, Europe, North America, and South America with NGOs, government, and the private sector.
Katharine is currently working for a number of organisations including the Australian Water Partnership engaging with Mekong governments and relevant stakeholders, the International Water Association on its strategic programs including climate-smart utilities, water wise cities and digital water and as a senior advisor for Water-Cities supporting the transition of cities towards sustainable water management.
Jodie Rettino
Catchment Management and Biodiversity Lead, Severn Trent
Jodie’s segment will bring specific examples, demonstrating how Severn Trent utilise Nature Based Solutions to enhance the resilience of the water environment. ...read more about Jodie
Dr. Jodie Rettino manages the Catchment and Biodiversity Team at Severn Trent. She has been working at Severn Trent for 11 years and since joining the company has developed the catchment management programme from a set of investigations into on the ground schemes and business as usual. More recently the catchment management programme has expanded to include ecology, biology and biodiversity work on both the Companies own rural estate and 3rd party land. Across the industry Severn Trent’s catchment and biodiversity work is now recognised as being industry leading. The Team have recently won the 2020 Water Industry - Alliancing and Partnership award and have been shortlisted as finalists for the 2021 Utility Week Community Investor award. She also has a PhD in Catchment Management from Cranfield University.
Amanda Lake
Water Process Lead - Europe, Jacobs
Amanda’ segment will discuss the role of Treatment Wetlands in nature based solutions and share some examples. Treatment Marshes – free water surface systems – offer multiple opportunities for treatment of organic and nutrient loads whilst providing wider benefits and climate mitigation. ...read more about Amanda
Amanda is a Chartered member of IChemE and committee member on the Water SIG, with 20 years experience in the water industry. She currently works for Jacobs in their European water business as process lead and delivers work in water and wastewater treatment and interrelated opportunities in resource recovery, circular economy and carbon.
The Nature Conservancy’s segment will highlight the role of Nature Based Solutions in Brazil on resilient watershed management that address both climate mitigation and the impacts of water security on climate change. ...read more about TNC
The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.
Martin Currie will be hosting the discussion, and posing your questions to our experts. ...read more about Martin
Dr Martin Currie is an independent potable water quality and treatment specialist with Aqueum. He founded andeye at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to improve the quality of online conferences and help decarbonise and democratise conferences post-COVID. andeye are based just south Glasgow and are providing the platform for this discussion.
Martin lived in Mauritius prior to his return to Scotland, working as an independent water consultant and photographer. Prior to that he lead Atkins’ Middle East Water business from a Dubai base. This included taking the water lead on a number of sustainable city master plans. After a year of consultancy, following his PhD in water treatment, his first long-term role was as a Process Engineer with Thames Water, culminating in the Lead Process Engineer role on their Upper Thames Major Resource Development project.
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