Sept. 26, 2008 -- Royalty descended on the East of England Showground last week to support MPs, government officials and environmentalists at Catchment 08, the leading UK event aimed at combating flooding.
HRH the Duke of Gloucester flew in by helicopter to the event on Sept. 17 to join more than 1,000 visitors and 250 conference delegates from organizations across the UK.
The event was held at the showground for the first time ever to accommodate the inaugural combination of both exhibition and conference.
"The high turnout of visitors from all sorts of organizations, from Internal Drainage Boards to the Environment Agency, County Councils to Members of Parliament, demonstrates how important collaborative working is in order for the UK to be properly protected against future flooding events," said Dr Jean Venables OBE, Chief Executive of ADA (Association of Drainage Authorities), the body responsible for organizing the event.
Among those addressing delegates included such high profile figures as Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Anne McIntosh MP, and Roger Hargreaves, Head of the Pitt Review.
Both offered their support to the work of ADA and the need for strong leadership in the management of water levels to ensure the UK does not lose vital infrastructure, such as power stations, roads and water treatment works.
ADA advises and informs members including Internal Drainage Boards, the Environment Agency, local authorities, consultants and contractors on water level management and legislation.
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