Image shows King Charles meeting (left to right) researchers Prof Michael Singer, from Cardiff University, Prof Katerina Michaelides and Dr Sean Fox for the Water and Climate Reception
Image shows (left to right) Prof Michael Singer, Prof Katerina Michaelides and Dr Sean Fox at Buckingham Palace
Two University of Bristol researchers have met with His Majesty King Charles III to highlight the increasing risks to drought and flooding in major cities across the world.
Prof Katerina Michaelides, Professor of Dryland Hydrology, and Dr Sean Fox, Associate Professor in Global Development, were invited to the special Water and Climate Reception, held at Buckingham Palace in London, last Thursday.
It followed the launch of a report, commissioned by WaterAid – the world's leading water, sanitation and hygiene charity, revealing how the 100 most populated cities face increasing exposure to flooding and drought through changes in climate.
King Charles is Royal Patrol and a former President of the charity, which co-organised the event attended by representatives from government, charities, non-governmental organisations, private sector, climate activists, and celebrities, including fitness coach Joe Wicks.
Prof Michaelides said: "It was a great honour to meet the King, who is very passionate about helping combat the devastating impacts of climate change across the world. He has been involved with WaterAid for more than 30 years and is very knowledgeable.
"After sharing his characteristic big cheeky smile, he engaged in thoughtful discussion about the potential value of nature-based solutions, which could be used to buffer the adverse effects of climate change. I'm sure he had already seen so many people that evening, but he still showed true care and deep interest in our work."
The event featured a visual installation showing how 'climate whiplash', which means intensifying floods and droughts, is becoming more common with almost one in five (15%) of the cities studied in the report being affected.
The study, also supported by academics from Cardiff University, uncovered widespread drying throughout European cities including the Spanish capital Madrid, which was ranked second among the 49 drying cities, and UK capital London, ranked 44th.
Prof Michaelides, co-lead scientist of the report explained: "The findings from our study illustrate just how differently and dramatically climate change is expressing around the globe – there is no one-size-fits-all.
"Places that were historically wet are becoming dry and vice versa. Other places are now increasingly battered by both extreme floods and droughts. A deeper understanding of localised climate hazards can support more intelligent and bespoke planning in major cities."
The study compares each city's social and water infrastructure vulnerabilities alongside new data on climate hazards spanning 42 years to identify which are the most vulnerable to extreme climate changes and the least equipped to handle them.
Dr Sean Fox, who also contributed to the research, said: "As the nature and intensity of natural hazards change, their impacts on urban communities will be significantly shaped by social and infrastructural vulnerabilities. In other words, risk isn't just about the chance of a flood or drought occurring, it's also about how prepared communities are to deal with these hazards."
From recent drought in cities like Madrid and Cape Town in South Africa, to large-scale flooding across cities in Bangladesh and Pakistan, WaterAid claims 90% of all climate disasters are driven by too much or too little water. In light of global aid cuts, it is calling on the UK, global governments, multilateral banks, and the private sector to work together to unlock investment and implement solutions to tackle climate change and water crises, strengthening global security.
