Responding to flooding: Improving the preparation and response

Wilton Park continues its series of high-level conferences on humanitarian issues by focusing on the response to flooding. Floods, as a result of heavy rain, storms and sea surges, are having greater impact than ever before, and the predictions are for worse to come as a result of climate change. How well prepared are developing countries to respond? What more can be done to build national resilience and capacity? What role for neighbours and regional organisations to support a response, and what effective contribution can the international community make? Those participating will include local and national responders from many flood-prone countries with international experts and those involved in disaster risk reduction.

Wilton Park is an Agency of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and one of the world’s leading institutions for in-depth discussion of international policy challenges through high-level dialogue. The key features of a Wilton Park conference are the mix of informality and “off-the-record” debate together with a discrete and residential environment. This allows for frank, focused and forward-looking discussion amongst the experts we bring together.

Numbers at its conferences are restricted to 60-70 with a unique mix of nationalities and professions to provide a very interactive framework and ample opportunity for networking.