25 March 2018
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
Flooding in the Cork Region – Impact and Solutions
The School of Building & Civil Engineering at Cork Institute of Technology will host the 28th Environ Conference from March 26th to March 28th next. This annual Conference, Environ2018, is being hosted in collaboration with the Environmental Sciences Association of Ireland (ESAI), the conference theme is “Arriving at a Sustainable Future.”
Environ2018 opens with a Question and Answer Public Event on CIT’s Bishopstown Campus on Monday, March 26th at 8pm. Flooding in the Cork Region – Impacts and Solutions will provide a forum for discussing the phenomenon of flooding and its impacts and potential solutions. Speakers include Ezra MacManamon of the Office of Public Works (OPW), Ken Leahy of Arup Consulting Engineers, John Hegarty, Architect and member of the Save Cork Group, and Claire Nash, owner of Nash 19 Restaurant located on Princes Street in Cork City Centre, whose business has experienced firsthand the impact of flooding in the City. The event will be moderated by Johathan Healy, the well known Broadcaster and Communications Consultant. This public event will be held in IT3 (Frank O’ Connor Theatre) with a pre-event reception from 7:15pm.
The pre-booked plenary session on the morning of Tuesday, March 27th will be delivered by Eamonn Ryan, TD, and Leader of the Green Party and Dr Jonathan Derham of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). On Wednesday, March 28th, there will be a second pre-booked plenary session with Josien Ruijter from the Dutch Waste Company, NV. HVC, who will present on the Dutch experience of wastewater sludge incineration and phosphate recycling pathways.
Commenting on the conference Dr Joe Harrington, Head of School of Building & Civil Engineering in CIT and organiser of the event said “Environ is the longest running, and largest forum, for environmental researchers in Ireland with over 275 delegates attending the event annually. It provides a high-visibility platform for young researchers to present their findings to an audience drawn from academia, government bodies and agencies, and industry.”
Further information on Environ2018 is available at http://www.esaiweb.org/environ/