Here we are at this huge Flood & Coast 2016 conference convened by the Environment Agency (EA) – the only forum we’re told, which brings together government agencies, industry and academics all engaged in wrestling with the highly controversial and complex issue of flooding in England……and what happens?
Top EA directors find time to engage with a small group of young people who were flooded and want to share their experiences. What’s even more remarkable is how these high level decision makers seem to be taking notice of what these teenagers have called for in their Flood Manifesto for Change.
We’ve heard at this conference about how the EA is exploring the balance between ‘resisting’ floods and flood ‘resilience’. Measures called for in the Young People’s Flood Manifesto address this issue directly. In our ESRC project we highlight how children and young people can be active in policymaking – perhaps this is the moment when it all comes together.
Maggie Mort and Marion Walker at the International Conference Centre, Telford, UK