Dutch Dialogue Speaks Water, Climate Change

The second Dutch Dialogue on water and climate change will be hosted on Wednesday, Nov. 18, by the University of South Florida's Patel Center for Global Solutions, Hillsborough County City/County Planning Commission and the Dutch government. Local and international water experts will come together to prepare cities for the consequences of climate change.

Researchers, urban planners, municipal administrators and local government representatives will gather at the Gibbons Alumni Center at USF's Tampa campus from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. to discuss city planning, Gulf Coast climate change adaptation, energy infrastructure and post-disaster recover measures.

The UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in Delft, the Netherlands, is the world's preeminent institution on water education and research. In 2007, Tampa's own USF became the first U.S. American university to sign a memorandum of understanding with IHE to collaborate on research and education.

Speakers at Wednesday's event will include representatives of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration, Tampa Bay Water, Tampa Electric, the Florida Department of Transportation and the Hillsborough County Planning and Growth Management, as well as the Royal Netherlands Embassy and Dutch consulting firm DHV BV.

Attendees can expect to learn how climate change impacts sea level rise, increased temperatures, irregular weather patterns and flooding. "We want people at all different levels to think about adaptation, about how can we prepare our infrastructure for the uncertainty that comes with climate change," says Daniel Yeh, a research fellow at the Patel Center and USF assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering.

To register for the free event and for more information, click here.

Nancy Vaughn, a Tampa-based writer, enjoys meeting new talent and discovering (and inspiring) new ideas. Comments? Contact 83 Degrees.