What will the Big Society mean for the environment?
Although David Cameron has pledged to make the success of the Governments Big Society programme his “mission” in politics, there will be wide spread implications for the environment. CIWEMs annual two-day conference, Water & the Environment, will focus on the challenges faced by the environment sector to deliver front-line services, despite a lack of funding.
The Big Society aims to shift power from central government to communities, charities and non-profit groups, giving them more control over issues like housing, planning, schools and some public services. Therefore the Big Society will create opportunities and challenges for the environment sector, forcing it to achieve sustainability through novel and innovative solutions, despite decreasing financial support.
Keynote speakers include Richard Benyon MP, Minister for Natural Environment and Fisheries, Tony Juniper, campaigner, former Executive Director of Friends of the Earth, and Dr Mike Clarke, Chief Executive of RSPB, will be discussing the Governments programme at the conference in April.
Other presentations will look at how communities might benefit from a Big Society approach to coastal change; the role of Big Society in agricultural water resource management and climate change adaptation; how water companies can empower customers by embracing the Big Society; what the role of self-help groups is in flood risk management; what role the Big Society may play in governance on international water infrastructure projects; and whether the Big Society can reduce diffuse urban pollution.
- The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, CIWEM, is an independent professional body and a registered charity, advancing the science and practice of water and environmental management for a clean, green and sustainable world. www.ciwem.org
- Sponsors to date include Halcrow, Hydro International, MWH, YSI Hydrodata.
- Exhibitors to date include Polypipe, Maltby Land Surveys, Mott MacDonald, Wiley-Blackwell, ACO Water Management, Taylor and Francis, HR Wallingford and Environment Systems