University Dean takes flood research expertise to Brazil

A University of Wolverhampton Dean took his research expertise in flood risk management to Brazil recently to strengthen ties with a local university. 

Professor David Proverbs, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University, visited Florianopolis to give a keynote speech at the National Disaster Reduction Conference organised by the Civil Defense of Santa Catarina and the State University of Santa Catarina (UDESC), with support from the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Estado de Santa Catarina. 

The visit was funded by the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development as part of a collaborative research grant secured by Professor Proverbs and UDESC. Professor Proverbs' keynote address was aimed at sharing the approaches developed in the UK to improve flood resilience, much of which he has championed leading to considerable impact on policy and communities.  

While he was there he visited the Emergency Management Centre and met the Head of Civil Defence whilst exploring a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the University and the State University of Santa Catarina which will focus on joint research collaboration. 

Professor Proverbs is an internationally renowned expert in flood risk management and pioneered the development of research into flood recovery in the UK. He has gained research funding from organisations including the British Council, DEFRA, EPSRC, NERC, RICS and World Bank. He has published extensively on topics linked to flood damage, flood adaptation and resilience. His research has had significant national and international impact in the development of UK Climate Change Policy; as a trustee advising on global research grant awards; and through supporting the development of national flood risk strategies, for example in Brazil, China, Nigeria, Peru and the UK. 

He is Editor of the International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, a Trustee to the Property Research Trust and a member of the Environment Agency’s Regional Flood and Coast Committee. He is Visiting Professor at Santa Catarina State University (UDESC), Brazil, the Centre for Flooding, Communities and Resilience at the University of the West of England and Xiamen University of Technology, China.