David Wilkes begins CIWEM Presidency

David Wilkes has been invited to stand for office as President of the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) for 2011-12.

This post will commence with his induction on 29 September, followed by the formal Members Assembly, facilitated by the Environment Agency (EA) Chairman, Lord Chris Smith. It will raise the profile of CIWEM in the UK, Ireland and further afield, including Hong Kong.

“What an honour this is, to stand here as the new President of CIWEM, but also daunting, the stakes are high; we have only got one planet to sustain us now and into the future... By nature I am an optimist and my expectation is that we have the capacity, and an innate human desire to survive, and be successful from one generation to the next. CIWEM can help by encouraging engagement of the issues by proving evidence and providing know-how and by showing ways to that better future.”

- David Wilkes

David is an Associate Director based in Arup's Leeds office, specialising in flood risk and planning. Before joining Arup in 2006 he had a 30 year career with the Environment Agency and predecessor organisations, where he managed the Thames Barrier and flood defences for London.