Professor Natasha Barlow joins Haskoning's coastal resilience team
She has specialist expertise in data-model integration, coastal hazard assessment, and the analysis of complex coastal processes across various timescales. And she’ll use her knowledge to drive innovative coastal resilience solutions at Haskoning that deliver environmental and societal impact in a changing climate.
Predicting change, building resilience
I have always had a fascination with mud – a childhood interest that evolved into a pursuit to understand how mud and sediments alter in response to coastal and environmental change, past, present, and future.
As we face an urgent climate crisis, predicting, managing, and mitigating coastal and environmental change is key to developing resilient communities and businesses. However, in a world of shrinking attention spans that naturally focus on immediate results, prioritising solutions that may take decades to be fully realised is a huge challenge.
"Through my role at Haskoning, I will bring together my expertise in coastal and sea level change and solution-led research to support clients and stakeholders to meet the needs of communities and the environment, delivering positive change both now and in the future," says Barlow.
Barlow has a proven international profile in sea-level rise, coastal dynamics, and climatic and environmental change. And she has been recognized for her achievements on multiple occasions – including being awarded the Quaternary Research Association Lewis Penny Medal for research excellence.
During her time as Professor of Environmental Change at the University of Leeds, Barlow led large-scale multi-disciplinary research and industry projects on coastal and environmental change.
This included investigating long-term sea-level change, estuary, and delta dynamics in the North Sea, exploring the use of geosciences to improve the effectiveness and development of offshore wind ground models, and investigating the role of salt marsh blue carbon in climate mitigation.
Barlow says, “Climate change brings environmental uncertainties and extremes. I will use my experience of working with palaeoenvironmental data, which shows the long history of our changing climate, and expertise in dealing with uncertainties to help stakeholders understand the range of possibilities that future climate and sea-level change may pose.”
“Through tools including storylines and analogues, alongside Haskoning’s world-leading digital tools, I will work with clients to explore solutions that deliver long-term success appropriate to their risk appetite, budget, and goals,” she adds.
Barlow will be applying her skills, knowledge, and experience to bolster Haskoning’s offering in various markets where we help our clients plan for coastal change. This could be energy companies needing cable landfalls for wind energy; local authorities developing shoreline management plans; or coastal communities and businesses planning how best to adapt to, and be resilient to, coastal change.
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