Climate Impact, Flood Protection and Hydraulic Engineering

The accompanying conference will feature experts discussing the latest state of the art, strategies and projects. acqua alta has special importance due to Hamburg's role as the European Green Capital 2011.

The flood disasters of last summer in Pakistan and North-East China, and the Neisse flooding in the area where Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland meet, will for a long time be an issue for the climate impact experts such as flood relief and disaster management professionals. acqua alta is the only exhibition and conference event which focuses on expert exchanges in all these areas. That will make acqua alta 2011 the most important meeting point for politicians, academics, administrators and the business community, to exchange ideas on the latest issues and projects. A key goal of the event will be to advance the exchange of knowledge and thus development of the necessary strategies and application of innovative products.

The organiser of acqua alta 2011 is Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH (HMC), which has brought this exhibition and fair permanently to Hamburg. Alongside the subjects indicated above, HMC is also expanding coverage of hydro power, a vital issue as governments undertake obligations to combat climate change by using hydro power from rivers and seas.

The exhibition, held at the exhibition hall of CCH - Congress Center Hamburg, will feature specialist companies presenting innovative products, technologies and services. Exhibitors include construction companies for dams and dykes by rivers and coasts; suppliers of mobile flood defence systems, forecasting systems and measuring equipment; and geoengineering organisations. The section on risk and emergency management will provide information on what is needed to manage the situation and meet the basic needs of the population in disaster situations. The fundamental importance of that was evident most recently during the Pakistan floods. Other areas cover climate impact management, and give authorities, professional associations and research institutes a forum to present their work.

The accompanying conference features experts from the authorities, research centres and specialist organisations, covering subjects such as climate change, flooding and the environment, disaster management, and hydro power. In cooperation with the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW), HMC has launched a Call for Papers for contributions to the acqua alta conference and the Open Space at the exhibition. The deadline for submissions is 15 January 2011.