About this Event
We’re excited to host a thought-provoking session featuring Bridget Bennett and Fiona Henderson, of the Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health at Glasgow Caledonian University.
🗣 Talk Title: Governing the Hidden: Rural Infrastructure and Climate Vulnerability
Bridget Bennett is a PhD researcher, on a Scottish Government Hydronation scholarship, exploring how private community wastewater systems in Scotland are managed and how they can become more innovative and effective. Her research focuses on supporting rural communities to manage decentralised, off‑mains wastewater systems more sustainably by improving access to knowledge, technology, and support.
Fiona Henderson is a Senior Research Fellow whose work spans water resilience, community engagement, environmental governance, entrepreneurship and social innovation. She is currently leading a work package exploring End of Waste status for products developed through an Ofwat-funded innovation project recovering biopolymers from wastewater. This year, she has also co-developed the Scottish Government’s first Household Flood Plan (available here) and co-authored a report on reducing the mental health and wellbeing impacts of flooding.
Join Us for the latest of the Strathclyde Institute for Sustainable Communities (SISC) seminar series!
This event is the latest in our seminar series, which brings together researchers, practitioners and community leaders to explore bold ideas for building more inclusive, resilient and sustainable communities.
Abstract
Governing the Hidden: Rural Infrastructure, Institutional Recognition and Climate Vulnerability
Governing rural climate risk requires attention not only to the visibility of infrastructure and hazards, but also to the social and institutional capacities that sustain them. Effective adaptation depends on recognising distributed systems of infrastructure, responsibility and vulnerability, and on understanding the conditions under which apparently resilient rural communities may themselves be approaching the limits of their capacity to adapt.
Rural infrastructure is often dispersed, decentralised and privately or communally managed, creating distinctive challenges for how it is recognised, governed and adapted to climate change. While infrastructure may be physically present and socially essential, its visibility within the institutional systems through which decisions are made can be partial or fragmented. Decentralised wastewater systems provide one illustration of this problem, where fragmented ownership, responsibilities, data and regulatory arrangements can make important infrastructure difficult to see within conventional governance frameworks.
This seminar extends this question of infrastructural visibility to consider how institutional recognition shapes understandings of rural climate vulnerability. It argues that what is absent, fragmented or poorly represented within datasets can also be absent from environmental decision-making, influencing where intervention, investment and adaptation are directed. These challenges become particularly significant in relation to flooding, where physical exposure intersects with demographic change, household resources, social networks and local capacities to prepare for, respond to and recover from disruption.
🕒 Time: 12:30–13:30
The room will be open from 12:00 to 14:00 to allow for attendees who would like to bring their own lunch / tea and coffee and for informal networking before and after the seminar (12:00-12:30 and 13:30-14:00).
📍 Location: SBS Meeting Room CW4.05
Directions:
- Enter the Stenhouse Wing of building at 199 Cathedral Street, map here.
- Take the stairs (or lift through the double doors) to floor 4.
- Follow the signs for 'Cathedral Wing', through the double doors and turn to your right. The room will be on your left.
For online attendees, use the following link to attend the event:
Meeting ID: 365 502 290 563 3
Passcode: dE7Ha9eX
🗓 Upcoming Seminar Dates (also held in Room CW4.05 from 12:00-14:00) can be found here.
*Note: If you are not a member of staff at the University of Strathclyde, please select the ticket option “Non-staff of the University of Strathclyde.” Please note that non-staff attendees may participate virtually only. Occasionally it may be possible for non-staff members to attend in person. In this case, requests should be emailed to [email protected] before making a booking.
*Photography & Marketing Please note that photos may be taken during this event and could be used for marketing and promotional purposes. By attending, you consent to the use of your image in such materials. If you do not wish to appear in any photos, kindly let us know in advance or inform a member of the team during the event.
If you have any queries please contact [email protected].
We look forward to seeing you there!
Event venue & nearby stays
199 Cathedral St, 199 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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