Areas of expertise for interview or discussion

• The role of the Taff Catchment Partnership, its mission and how it aims to deliver benefits across the catchment
• How to build resilience against the effects of climate change, through improving public understanding of the Taff, building community participation and incorporating Nature at the heart of decision-making
• Nature’s role in governance
• Flooding
• Sustainable development principles, strategy and actions; how Wales has implemented the Sustainable Development Goals via the Future Generations Act
• STEM advocacy — addressing the skills gap; promoting gender equality; investing in local communities and resource to build a future-ready workforce; citizen science
• Governance and its role in improving the institutions of Wales
• Welsh language policy — how to play an active role in the uptake of the Welsh language.
• Key reports/publications:
  • ‘Building Resilience to Flooding in Wales 2050’;
  • ‘A perfect storm: is Wales doing enough to co-ordinate action and engage communities in adapting our infrastructure to a changing climate?

Quote from Dr David Clubb,about the NICW report ‘Building Resilience to Flooding in Wales 2050’:

We know that the public sector cannot protect every property. This knowledge should liberate us from the expectation that the state will ‘do it all’. Instead, we should expect public bodies to enable more action from us as citizens, households, communities and business owners.

I believe that the Future Generations Act is a framework that can accelerate exactly this type of collaboration, improving outcomes and saving public expenditure in the long term.

“Wales’ challenges will only be solved by radical measures, implemented pragmatically, efficiently, and with sensitivity and understanding for those who will be hit hardest by climate change impacts.

Quote from Dr David Clubb, about the NICW report ‘A perfect storm: is Wales doing enough to co-ordinate action and engage communities in adapting our infrastructure to a changing climate?’

The impacts of climate change will shape the future of our communities. Yet it is these very communities that hold the key to building a cohesive and effective response, one that enables all citizens of Wales, alongside our natural environment, to thrive.

Too often viewed as a complicating factor in policy-making, our experience demonstrates that meaningful community involvement is not just desirable but essential. Strong institutional co-ordination between public bodies and infrastructure providers is also a vital component in managing systemic risks. Wales cannot effectively adapt to climate change without both genuine community engagement and effective institutional alignment. Together, they form a critical foundation for how successfully our society will navigate the challenges of the coming decades.”

Further information:

Dr David Clubb is Chair of the Taff Catchment Partnership, a collaborative approach to reducing flood risk and improving outcomes for communities and Nature across the whole catchment. He was previously Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales between 2021 and 2026, where he led a range of projects, including on flooding, Nature and climate change.

As part of his mission to improve the visibility and level of debate on governance in Wales, he has created Boards Wales as a free public resource for people interested in board issues.

David was awarded his PhD in applied physics in 2003 and was subsequently awarded the status of Chartered Physicist, Fellow of the Institute of Welsh Affairs, and Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

David has a salaried role as Climate Action Lead at Cardiff Met University.