Dennis is ex-Pro-Vice Chancellor and ex-Dean of Middlesex University Business School and also an Emeritus Professor at Middlesex University. He is also an Honorary Professor of Moscow International Higher Business School (MIRBIS). He has a PhD in Geography and is a long-term member of the Flood Hazard Research Centre and a Director of Middlesex Flood Research Associates Ltd. Originally an economic geographer who developed the first flood damage depth/damage data in Britain, his professional interests expanded into flood and hazard risk management. Although he has a range of research interests, two areas in particular now mark his contribution to flood risk management (i) practical methods for assessing flood loss potential and the benefits of flood risk management and (ii) practical ways of improving the effectiveness of flood warning systems. He has over thirty five years of experience of research and consultancy in these specialist areas which have developed many facets e.g. tropical cyclone warning systems, hazard management in megacities, business continuity planning and emergency planning and management in flood risk areas.
With many years of experience of working closely with engineers and engineering consultancy firms and others in the flood risk management business, he now contributes to the Centre’s research and consultancy projects working as an independent researcher and consultant.
English, French (some)
Dennis has supervised a number of successfully completed PhD studentships at Middlesex University and currently contributes on a voluntary basis to PhD supervision by undertaking mock PhD transfer or mock PhD viva voce examinations.
Teaching and learning involvement is now principally associated with several knowledge exchange programmes in which the UK’s and FHRC’s expertise in cost-benefit analysis in the flood risk management and coastal risk management contexts is being transferred to European partners.
Dennis’s research interests involve the following areas:
The economic and social impacts of floods and the benefits of flood risk management – the modelling and estimation of flood damages and the benefits of fluvial and coastal flood risk management
Public flood risk behaviour and flood risk communication – the public’s perception of and attitudes towards flood risk and their consequent flood risk behaviour; and means of communicating flood risk effectively
Effectiveness of flood, cyclone and severe weather warning systems – the integrity and effectiveness of warning systems in the UK, Europe and overseas
Development and management of natural hazards in large urban areas (e.g. megacities) – the drivers for the amplification of natural hazard exposure and vulnerability and strategies, including spatial planning strategies, for addressing hazards.
The impacts of floods and flood resilience on businesses and their supply chains – understanding the ways in which businesses are adversely affected by floods, their adoption of business continuity planning and the modelling of supply chain impacts
Selected publications since 2000
Parker, D.J. (2017) Flood warnings and their performance, Natural Hazard Science, Oxford Research Encyclopaedia (http://naturalhazardscience.oxfordre.com/)
Pappenberger, F., Cloke, H., Parker, D.J., Wetherall, F., Richardson, D. and Thielen, J. (2015) The monetary benefit of early flood warnings in Europe, Environmental Science and Policy, 51, 278-291
Parker, D.J., Chatterton, J.B., Hick, E. (2014) The Local Economic Impact of the Do Nothing Scenario for Torquay Harbour, Analytical Report prepared for Royal Haskoning and Torbay District Council on the local economic benefits of protecting Torquay Harbour from the effects of storm surge, Royal Haskoning, Exeter
Penning-Rowsell, E., Priest, S., Parker, D., Morris, J., Tunstall, S., Viavatenne, C., Chatterton, J., Owen, D. (2013) Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management: A Manual for Economic Appraisal, London: Routledge
Parker, D.J. (2013) Appraisal of local economic and social benefits of the proposed flood alleviation scheme for Exeter, Analytical Report prepared for Exeter City Council, Engineer’s Department, Flood Hazard Research Centre, Middlesex University
Priest, S., Parker, D. J. and Hurford, A. (2010) Surface water flood warning: a scoping study, Science Research Report SC080034/SR1, Environment Agency, Flood Hazard Research Centre
Parker, D. J. and Priest, S. J. 2010 Exploring the potential for pluvial flood warnings with professional responders and the public in England and Wales, Proceedings of the Flash Floods and Pluvial Flooding Workshop, Working Group F Thematic Workshop, ISPRA, 26-28 May 2010, Cagliari, Italy
Parker, D. J. and Tapsell, S. M. (2009) Flood warning service evidence review. Produced under contract from the Environment Agency as a contribution to FWSIP
Von Lany, P., Barnes, A., Dawson, R., and Parker, D. J. (2009) Reliability in Flood Incident Management Planning, Final Report – Part B: Technical Report, Science Project SC060063/SR2, Defra/EA
Parker, D. J., Priest, S. J., and Tapsell, S. M. (2009) Understanding and enhancing the public’s behavioural response to flood warning information, Meteorological Applications, 16, 103-114
Parker, D. J. with Ashley, R., Hurley, L and A. Ashman (2008) State of the Nation: Coastal and Flood Risk Management, Report to Institution of Civil Engineers, 7 March. (This report is the underpinning research report for a report published by the Institution of Civil Engineers in June 2008 entitled ‘Flooding: Engineering Resilience’)
Lonsdale K, Downing T, Nicholls R, Parker D J, Vafeidis N, Dawson R, Hall J 2008. Plausible response to the threat of rapid sea-level rise for the Thames Estuary, Climatic Change, 91, 145-69
Parker, D. J. with Cave, B., Cragg, L, Gray, J., Pygott. K. and Tapsell, S. (2008) Understanding of and response to severe flash flooding, Science Report – SC070021, Draft Final Report EA
Parker, D. J., Priest, S .and Tapsell, S. (2008) Modelling the damage reducing effects of flood warnings, FLOODsite Final Report No. T10-07-12, Coordinator HR Wallingford UK.
Flood incident management analysis and performance management (with P. von Lany, A. Bayliss, S. Surendran, J. Wicks, J. Davis, R. Dawson, R. Pickering & Z. Rao) (2008) Flood and Coastal Management Conference, DEFRA, 1-3 July
Parker, D. J. with McCarthy, S., Tunstall, S., Faulkner, H. and Howe, J. (2007) Risk communication in emergency response to a simulated extreme flood, Environmental Hazards, 7, 179-192
Parker, D. J. with Drobot, S. (2007) Advances and challenges in flash flood warnings, Environmental Hazards 7, 173-178
Parker, D. J. with Faulkner, H., Green, C. H. and Beven, K. (2007) Developing a Translational Discourse to communicate Uncertainty in Flood Risk Between Science and the Practitioner, Ambio, 36, 7, 692-703
Parker, D. J., Tunstall, S. M. and McCarthy, S. (2007) New insights into the benefits of flood warnings: Results from a household survey in England and Wales, Environmental Hazards, 7, 202-236397-414
Parker, D. J., Tapsell, S. M. and McCarthy, S. (2007) Enhancing the benefits of flood warnings, Natural Hazards, 43, 3
Parker, D. J., Tapsell, S. and Priest, S. (2007) Opportunities and constraints in the modelling of the economic impact of flood warnings, ESEE 2007 Integrating Natural and Social Sciences for Sustainability: 7th International Conference of the European Society for Ecological Economics, 5-8 June, Centre for Environmental Research, Leipzig, Germany
Johnson C, Penning-Rowsell E C, Parker D J 2007. Natural and imposed injustices: the challenges in implementing ‘fair’ flood risk management policy in England, The Geographical Journal, 173, 4, 373-390
Parker, D. J. Tunstall, S. M. and Wilson, T. (2005) Socio-economic benefits of flood forecasting and warning, in Balabanis, P., Lumbroso, D. and Samuels, P. (Eds.) Achieving Technological Innovation in Flood Forecasting, International conference on innovation, advances and implementation of flood forecasting technology, Tromso, Norway, October 2005, 55-56 (ISBN 1-898485-12-7) and accompanying CD (ISBN 1-898485-14-3). Keynote address by D Parker.
Parker, D.J. (2004) Designing flood forecasting, warning and response systems from a societal perspective, Meteorologische Zeitschrift 13, 1, 5-11
Parker, D.J. (2003) Designing flood forecasting, warning and response systems from a societal perspective, Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of Alpine Meteorologists/Mesocale Alpine Programme, Brig, Switzerland
Parker, D.J. (2003) The design of flood warning systems, Paper given at Conference on Flooding, September 2003, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency/Scottish Executive, Leith, Scotland
Parker, D.J. and Haggett, C. (2001) The development of flood warning technologies in England and Wales, Proceedings of the International Emergency and Disaster Management Conference (TIEMS), Oslo, Norway, June 2001
Parker, D.J. (Ed) (2000) Floods, Vols 1 and 2, Routledge, London
Current and recent projects include:
EcosHaz – Economics of Prevention Measures Addressing Coastal Hazards – 2013-2015 (http://www.ecoshaz.eu/site/)
Flood-CBA2 – Integrating CBA in the development of standards of flood protection and safety – 2016-2017 (http://www.floodcba2.eu/site/)
RISCKIT - Resilience-Increasing Strategies for Coasts – tool KIT (http://www.risckit.eu)
STAR-FLOOD Strengthening and Redesigning European FLOOD risk practices Towards appropriate and resilient flood risk governance arrangements (http://www.starflood.eu/)
Multi-Coloured Manual Update – 2013
Flood warning impact - 2017
Dennis has been consultant to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United Nations, the European Commission, and the World Meteorological Organisation – all in areas of water or flood management. His consultancy experience extends to France, Australia, Hong Kong, Republic of Mauritius and European Union countries including France, Germany, Eire and the Netherlands as well as to government agencies in Britain. His published output includes 6 books and over 180 research papers.
Recent engagements include:
Expert Research Assessor and Panel Member for NERC, Flood from Intense Rainfall Programme, Towards END-to-End Flood Forecasting and a tool for Real-time catchment susceptibility (TENDERLEY), 2016.
Consultant to the European Medium-Range Weather Forecast Centre, Reading UK, 2015. Assessment of the monetary benefits of the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS)
Consultant to Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, 2013. Flood Warning Benefit Assessment Methods: Critical Analysis of Proposed Methodology
