High Holborn
London EC1N
UK
From the nineteenth century onwards, growth in the UK’s towns and cities damaged rivers environments. In addition to shifting patterns of erosion and deposition, and pollution, engineers created straight, concrete-lined watercourses, largely devoid of life and visual interest. The scale of change, and the impacts on the water environment, began to be understood only in the 1970s, since when specialists have attempted to manage rivers in ways that maintain channel and floodplain biodiversity.
Local communities have been vital in supporting those few areas, including a couple in London, where genuine improvements have been secured. Can we restore our rivers, and how might application of the science of geomorphology maximise the chances of success?
This is a free public lecture by Carolyn Roberts, Jackson Professor of the Environment.
There is no need to book in advance for this lecture. It runs on a first come first served basis.