PAWSG members and local residents may be interested in an upcoming online webinar exploring an important but often overlooked environmental issue: the risks posed by historic landfill sites in a changing climate.
Hosted by the Worshipful Company of Water Conservators, this free webinar will examine how legacy landfill sites across the UK are increasingly vulnerable to climate-related impacts such as flooding, rising groundwater, and coastal erosion.
Event details
Date: Tuesday 14 April 2026
Time: 6.00 – 7.15 pm
Format: Online (Zoom)
Cost: Free (registration required)
About the talk
Across the UK there are more than 20,000 legacy landfill sites that were created before modern environmental regulations and engineering standards were introduced. Many of these sites are now at risk from climate change, which can lead to the release of pollutants into surrounding land and water systems.
A risk-based assessment has identified:
Over 1,200 sites at risk from coastal flooding or erosion
More than 4,000 sites at risk from river flooding or rising groundwater
These risks have important implications for biodiversity, water quality, and human health, and could even affect future drinking water supplies.
Speaker
The webinar will be presented by Professor Kate Spencer, Professor of Environmental Geochemistry at Queen Mary University of London. Her research focuses on pollution pathways and the impacts of legacy waste in coastal and estuarine environments, and she has advised organisations including Defra, the Environment Agency, and the United Nations.
Why this matters locally
Issues around water quality, flooding, and environmental resilience are highly relevant to communities along the Thames and its tributaries, including Pangbourne and Whitchurch. Understanding how historic land use interacts with climate change is an important part of protecting our local environment.
How to register
To attend, please register via Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1986092162121?aff=oddtdtcreator
Once registered, you will receive joining details by email.
Landfill Risks – April 2026 Webinar V1