Lecture
Flood Risk a Managable Problem?
by
Christopher Wright
Bureau of Meteorology, Australia
Floods are commonly seen by non-hydrologists as “Acts of God”, over which we humans
have no control. Our only recourse in times of flood is to fill up sandbags, and
then clear up the mess afterwards.
In fact, floods are the most predictable of events, it is standard practice these
days to undertake 2-dimensional mapping of the extent and velocity of floodwater
over an ever varying range of flood and floodplain conditions.
We live in a world of rapid change. Who would have believed 10 years ago that
Ireland would experience the growth and expansion that we see around us. It has
been the experience in Australia that at times of rapid expansion and pressure on
available land, development has been allowed to occur in flood-prone land without
taking account of the flood hazard on that development. Once buildings and
factories have been established in an area, there is immediate pressure on the
government or local authority to mitigate the risk, or remove the flood. However
it is often the case that the easy engineering options have already been explored,
and it may well be too difficult or unacceptably costly to remove the flood risk.
The move from heavy engineering workshops and factories, which have a basic
robustness to flood damage, and replacement with high-tech electronics and
computer driven industry often gives rise to a very high degree of vulnerability.
Computers are expensive and don’t like getting wet.
Research and experience with flood prone development in Adelaide, South Australia
is discussed in relation to possible similarities in Ireland.
Chris Wright is an Engineering Hydrologist who is the head of the Flood Warning Section
at the Bureau of Meteorology South Australian Regional Office in Adelaide.
He recently completed a Master of Engineering Science Degree at the University of
Adelaide, after several years of research into Flash Flooding in the Urban
Environment.
He has spent 15 years in charge of the Bureau of Meteorology Flood Warning Seciton
in Adelaide, and will address the question of flood risk in Ireland, in the light
of experience in South Australia.
He graduated in civil engineering at Trinity College, Dublin
in 1968 and the following year completed a Master of Science Degree in
Agricultural Engineering. He has specialised in Hydrology since the mid 1980's and
attended the Graduate Certificate course in Hydrology at New South Wales University
in 1986.
Chris came to Adelaide in 1979 and worked for 9 years for Kinhill engineering
consultants (Now Halliburton KBR), on a range of projects which included irrigation
redevelopment in the South Australian Riverland, mining studies for the development
of lignite for power generation, and on major water resource studies for the Leigh
Creek mine. He has been with the Bureau of Meteorology since June 1988 and has
concentrated on the development of flood warning systems for the state.
In 1988 Chris was awarded a scholarship to study at the University of Adelaide for
a Master of Engineering Science Degree, by research. His work focused on flash
flood risk for urban businesses, and awakened considerable interest among a group
of commercial and industrial premises which had an estimated $100. Million of flood
risk exposure to the 1% (1-in-100 year) flood.
He is spending a few weeks in Ireland and hopes to share some of his experiences
with professional risk managers and hydrologists.
Room
G32 Earlsfort Terrace, NUI Dublin
8p.m. Thursday 28th November, 2002
Members
of the Public are Welcome to Attend
Updated
Tue 12 Nov 2002