Background: With the UK Parliament joining many other national governments and international institutions in declaring a climate emergency, new impetus has been given to radical approaches which aim to reverse the damage caused by greenhouse gas emissions and resulting rising sea levels.

This event will discuss the background to the issue of climate change and describe what engineers can do to tackle its effects with a current international project provided as an example.


The event will cover the following:

15:00               Coffee

15:15               Chair Introduction

15:20               Talk - An engineering response to sustained multi-meter sea level rise, potentially this century

16:15               Case Study - ABB M.O.S.E. - Shielding Venice from high waters

16:30               Networking and Refreshments

17:00               Close

MOSE (MOdulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico, Experimental Electromechanical Module) is a project intended to protect the city of Venice, Italy and the Venetian Lagoon from flooding.

The project is an integrated system consisting of rows of mobile gates installed at the Lido, Malamocco, and Chioggia inlets that are able to isolate the Venetian Lagoon temporarily from the Adriatic Sea during acqua alta high tides. Together with other measures, such as coastal reinforcement, the raising of quaysides, and the paving and improvement of the lagoon, MOSE is designed to protect Venice and the lagoon from tides of up to 3 metres. 

ABB is playing a major role in the MOSE project by supplying the complete electrical and  automation system to manage the entire process, as well as cyber security and surveillance protection systems.  A short video will be player to show how ABB’s power and automation is part of the innovative engineering flood barrier system to protect the city from floods