Richard Dawson FREng

Optimisation of Temporary and Demountable Flood Protection for Infrastructure Resilience Infrastructure systems provide crucial services to human settlements. Extreme weather events, especially flooding, can disrupt these vital services. Temporary and demountable flood protections (TDFPs...

Lots of infrastructure in need of protecting? Money, but not enough? Covering a large and diverse area? This spatial optimisation method quantifies tradeoffs, and provides spatial strategies that optimise multiple objectives such as protection levels and cost. doi.org/10.1111/jfr3...

Leading experts to put science and tech at the heart of clean power Professor Richard Dawson has been appointed to the new Science and Technology Advisory Council.

Honoured to be appointed to the DESNZ Science and Technology Advisory Council alongside a group of amazing people! Our role is to provide robust, scientific advice on its clean power mission.

www.ncl.ac.uk/press/articles/latest/2025/07/scienceandtechnologyadvisorycouncil/

Great to see you today Kathryn!

Please do circulate to your networks and get in touch to find out more!

Search for Postgraduate Scholarships and Other Funding We know that how you fund your postgraduate studies is very important. Our funding database gets you to the information you need quickly.

ENG152: Understanding the Complexities of Transport System Responses to Disruptive Events
www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate...

Search for Postgraduate Scholarships and Other Funding We know that how you fund your postgraduate studies is very important. Our funding database gets you to the information you need quickly.

Two funded PhD opportunities for UK students to join the DARe National Hub to assess and improve the resilience of transport systems to climate change:
ENG151: Resilience of Cyber-Physical Transport Systems
www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate...

@thecccuk.bsky.social

Thank you as well to everyone I have worked with along the way - I have enjoyed it so much and benefitted greatly from working with you all!

- Broadening the range of issues considered in the national risk assessment and through our deeper dive reports, including issues of social justice, spatial planning and adaptation financing www.theccc.org.uk/publications...

- Appearing before three Parliamentary Select Committees
- Working with a wide range of other organisations and people on different reports and research projects - far too many to mention!
- Widening the scope of biannual Adaptation Progress Reporting to cover Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Key organisations failing to tackle threat of cascading climate risks - Climate Change Committee Many of the UK’s critical energy, water, digital and transport providers are struggling to take account of the climate-related risks to connected infrastructure systems which could lead to cascading f...

- Reviewing the Adaptation Reporting Power and the subsequent positive engagement and strengthening of adaptation reporting by many organisations www.theccc.org.uk/2022/07/11/k...

CCC Adaptation Monitoring Framework - Climate Change Committee Since 2010, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) has conducted adaptation progress reports to assess the effectiveness of adaptation…

- Developing and implementing a systems-based approach to monitor and evaluate progress in adaptation www.theccc.org.uk/publication/...

Delivering a reliable decarbonised power system - Climate Change Committee This report illustrates what a reliable, resilient, decarbonised electricity supply system could look like in 2035, and the steps required to achieve it.

- Drawing attention to the urgent need to deliver a resilient net zero www.theccc.org.uk/publication/...

I can see from my archive how much work has been undertaken over the years, too much for one post, but it is a reminder that a wealth of guidance and tools already exist an can provide the foundations for a well-adapted UK. Here are a few personal highlights of my time:

As ever, the report contains clear advice for Government and other organisations to redress this and get ourselves back on the right path to ensure the UK's economy, infrastructure, wellbeing and environment are resilient to our changing climate.

Frustratingly, our latest analysis shows the UK's adaptation is falling short, lacks clear measurable outcomes, and actions are still being outpaced by growing risk.

After two full terms, totalling 6 years, my time on the Climate Change Committee comes to an end today. It has been a huge privilege to serve on the CCC. The final report that I was involved in was published today:
www.theccc.org.uk/2025/04/30/t...

Electrical substation fire makes Heathrow look ‘vulnerable’ – Energy Secretary The airport is supplied by the North Hyde electrical substation in west London.

This event highlights again the vulnerability of our infrastructure to cascading failure - quoted in the news:
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Climate Change: vulnerability impacts and adaptation course. Free pilot programme running for 8 weeks online. Sign up in the link in the post!

Join Newcastle University's Climate Change Vulnerability Risk and Adaptation course and gain the expertise to understand, evaluate, and respond to climate-related hazards.

Sign up here: lnkd.in/eB8rBGxk

More than 100,000 homes in England could be built in highest-risk flood zones Exclusive: Analysis suggests development in flood regions result of Labour push for 1.5m new homes in five years

Removal of "red tape" may be with good intentions, but it is unhelpful to pit building targets against everything else we value. Our environment, safety and resilience must be the heart of our planning decisions.

I’ve just done my #eXit! With #HelloQuitX you can link your followers/following to #BlueSky. Visit app.helloquitx.com and automatically find your communities!

22 January 2025 - Flood resilience in England - Oral evidence - Committees - UK Parliament 14:00 - The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

I'll be delivering evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee's Inquiry on Flood Resilience in England - tomorrow at 14:30, live on Parliament.tv committees.parliament.uk/event/23060/...

Just checking out some of your work, reckon there is potential for gamification for this sort of model. Could be hugely helpful!

Thanks for your kind words Chris!

Congratulations Kristina!!