Water policy
The Society has hosted roundtable seminars on water policy each year since 2009 at the "Future Water" conferences of the UK Parliament's all-party water group run by ConnectPA. These have taken place at the Society.
The next conference - Future Water 2013 - will take place at the Society on Tuesday 25 June 2013, and details of any roundtable will appear here once available.
The culmination of previous seminars has been the publication of a policy document: Water policy in the UK: The challenges.
- 10 July 2012: The future policy challenges from an ecosystems approach
Policy roundtable discussion as part of the Water 2012 conference, Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). Chair and speaker: Dr. Geraldene Wharton, Reader in Physical Geography, Queen Mary, University of London. Other speakers: Professor Keith Richards, Geography, University of Cambridge; Dr Stewart Clarke, Natural England. At this event the Society launched this new policy briefing with a discussion. Copies of the presentations are available alongside this briefing.
- 13 July 2011: Geographical perspectives on water services regulation in the UK
Chair: Dr Steven Toole, Policy Manager RGS-IBG. Speakers: Dr Chad Staddon, Bristol Group of Water Research, University of the West of England and Suzanne Baylis, Competition Manager, Severn Trent Water
- 13 July 2010: Land use and future water security. With the UK government's Foresight programme
Chair: Professor Sandy Thomas, Head of Foresight, Government Office of Science. Speakers: Dr Chad Staddon, Bristol Group of Water Research, University of the West of England; Professor Louise Heathwaite, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University
- 14 July 2009: The spatial role of water demand management
Chair: Professor Adrian McDonald of Leeds University. Speakers: Ian Barker, Head of Water, Environment Agency; Dr Liz Sharp, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Governance and Management, University of Bradford; Dr Will Mead, Department of Geography, Lancaster University
This workshop highlighted how spatial research can support the water industry in managing demand. In particular, the roundtable discussion will focus on the importance of spatial considerations in current and future water policy decisions. The roundtable will not only demonstrate how research findings can support the water industry but will also provide a forum to discuss how partnership between the sector and research can be intensified.