The Urban Climate Resilience team at Wavin recently hosted a dynamic roundtable at London's iconic Sky Garden. The event welcomed a group of passionate young professionals from the Early Careers Network at the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM). This gathering followed our successful "See Water Differently" event in April, where a panel of industry leaders explored surface water’s crucial role in urban climate resilience, seeking innovative solutions to the challenges the industry faces.
In this post we catch up with James Hunt, Technical Sales Specialist for Urban Climate Resilience at Wavin to find out more of the key insights from the round table.
Revisiting Key Themes from "See Water Differently"
During the "See Water Differently" event, three major themes emerged:
1. Grey enabling green – Highlighting the synergy between grey infrastructure and natural (green) infrastructure to enhance the benefits of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).
2. Fostering collaboration – Encouraging partnerships across sectors to unlock the full potential of green and grey solutions.
3. Adopting new technologies – Leveraging innovation to improve surface water management and urban resilience.
Building on these insights, the roundtable shifted focus to advancing momentum in the industry, with water management at the core of urban climate resilience efforts. The discussion covered five key topics:
1. Collaboration and Supply Chain Engagement
A powerful statement from the roundtable was that “Nature works as an ecosystem, but we work in silos.” The group emphasized the importance of early collaboration between clients and stakeholders from the outset of a project. By breaking down silos, holistic solutions to climate change and societal stresses can be realised.
Currently, a standard approach is often followed in planning and design, missing opportunities to engage the supply chain and optimise new technologies. Increasing collaboration with suppliers could also lead to better asset management, ensuring SuDS systems perform to their full potential over their lifespan.
Examples of successful collaborations, such as the London Strategic Water Group and the Enabling Water Smart Communities Model Framework, were highlighted as models for future initiatives. The group pondered how to adopt more frameworks like these with greater supply chain involvement and asked: What can the supply chain do to drive more collaboration?
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2. Redefining Value
A shift in how we define value within the water industry is needed to drive meaningful change. Currently, capital budgets often dominate decision-making, but there is a growing need to prioritise social and environmental benefits, particularly in long-term asset management and resource efficiency.
Understanding the intrinsic value of water through data-driven evidence is essential. The conversation touched on tools like CIRIA BEST, which helps quantify the benefits of blue-green infrastructure in areas like wellbeing and potable water savings, thereby informing more sustainable commercial decisions.
3. Grey Enabling Green and Adaptable Solutions
The group revisited the concept of grey enabling green, where engineered SuDS solutions (grey) are integrated with nature-based solutions (green) to address urban challenges. This hybrid approach is particularly effective in targeting the four pillars of SuDS.
Key enablers for adaptable and hybrid solutions included:
• Considering the Urban Heat Island Effect and the increasing impact of drought on green infrastructure.
• The role of digital infrastructure in enhancing SuDS performance and improving community engagement.
• Encouraging bold, innovative decision-making, with a reasonable tolerance for failure, to foster learning and adaptation in climate resilience strategies.
4. Cross-Sector Learnings
Learning from other sectors was identified as an "easy win" for improving water management. For instance, the energy sector’s rapid transition toward green energy serves as an inspiration. However, the roundtable noted the price disparity between water and energy and questioned whether increasing the price of water could help reflect its true value while ensuring communities benefit from the change.
5. The Next Generation and Skills Gap
A key topic was the role of the next generation in addressing the skills gap in the water industry. While younger professionals are often looked to for solutions to climate change, it’s essential that those currently in power take accountability for driving change.
The younger generation's strong interest in environmental protection and climate action presents an opportunity to attract diverse talent to the water sector. By promoting the industry's role in combating climate change, we can better address these challenges in a holistic and inclusive way. However, there are still questions about how to shift the narrative around water management and make SuDS more accessible to the public. This is an area where the next generation could play a pivotal role.
Looking Ahead
As our cities and rural landscapes face the growing pressures of climate change, pollution, and high-density development, the need for sustainable solutions is greater than ever. While the challenges are well understood, there is a sense that the solutions already exist—they just need to be fully realised.
With the continued support of CIWEM, Wavin’s events have sparked vital conversations across the water industry. Engaging stakeholders, understanding their challenges, and exploring innovative solutions is just the beginning.
Moving forward, we aim to maintain this momentum and continue offering solutions to urban climate resilience. If you're interested in learning more about our new Urban Climate Resilience solutions and integrated smart technologies, feel free to reach out using this form.
