Extreme Weather Symposium Planned

October 28, 2013

Over the past few years Iowa has been experiencing swings from one weather extreme to another (severe storms, floods and drought). These extreme fluctuations are expensive and are negatively affecting Iowa agriculture, businesses, government and people.

The Public Policy Center, with support from the Iowa Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), is planning a December 11 symposium in Des Moines that will address the current and future challenges and costs that the state of Iowa faces in adapting to the extreme weather fluctuations it has experienced over the last several years. 

The objectives of the symposium are to:

  • Better understand the current and future challenges facing Iowa due to the extreme weather.
  • Identify some of the leading challenges to key sectors of Iowa’s economy affected by extreme weather, the costs of these impacts and how these sectors are mitigating and adapting to change.
  • Facilitate productive discussions among government and business leaders, policy makers and citizens about strategies for mitigating and adapting to extreme weather.
  • Generate policy options for adapting to weather extremes in Iowa

State government leaders whose constituents have been economically affected by extreme weather patterns will provide keynote presentations, including:

  • Bruce Rastetter, President, Board of Regents, State of Iowa
  • Bill Northey, Secretary of Agriculture, State of Iowa
  • Chuck Gipp, Director, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
  • Paul Trombino III, Director, Iowa Department of Transportation
  • Mark Schouten, Director, Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management
  • Nick Gerhart, Insurance Commissioner, State of Iowa 

Co-sponsoring the event are the University of Iowa Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research (CGRER), University of Iowa Hydroscience and Engineering (IIHR), University of Iowa School of Urban and Regional Planning, the Climate Science Program at Iowa State University, and the Iowa Water Center.

The cost is $25 and includes lunch, $10 for students.

For more information about the symposium and to register, click here.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Leslie Gannon at (319) 335-6817 or leslie-gannon@uiowa.edu.