James Trafford appointed Chair of CIWEM’s Rivers and Coastal Group

Waterman Aspen is pleased to celebrate the appointment of James Trafford as Chair of CIWEM’s Rivers and Coastal Group (RCG).

CIWEM’s Rivers and Coastal Group supports the sustainable management of rivers and coastal environments by improving understanding across the sector. It brings people together to share knowledge and experience, supports members (including early-career professionals) and contributes informed insight to policy and specialist discussions on flood and coastal erosion risk management.

James joined Waterman Aspen in June 2019 and was promoted last year to Regional Director for Water & Environment North, leading a team of flood risk and water management professionals. His appointment as Chair builds on years of active involvement with CIWEM, including serving on the RCG committee as Junior Vice Chair.

This leadership transition comes at an exciting time, coinciding with CIWEM’s first major sold‑out event of 2026, the RCG Technical Conference which took place in London last week. This level of interest reflects the demand for collaboration and shared learning around the challenges facing communities and critical infrastructure across the UK.

In his new role, James will help guide conversations on how the sector can deliver practical, resilient outcomes, bringing together practitioners, policymakers and specialists working at the cutting edge of flood and coastal management.

James said:

“I’m immensely proud to take on the role of Chair of CIWEM’s Rivers and Coastal Group — it’s genuinely one of the highlights of my career. I’m thrilled that the RCG Conference sold out, and it was wonderful to see everything our fantastic committee aims to achieve in the year ahead.”

James is also widely recognised for his long-standing support of professional development within the industry. In a recent CIWEM article, he reflects on nearly two decades of mentoring water and environmental professionals through their chartered membership journey.

We are delighted to see James contributing so actively to the profession and look forward to his continued impact across the sector.