Rob Brooks
CAT Graduate
Rob works for the Environmental Agency, project managing flood management projects for the agency and the local county council. Rob’s work is motivated by his desire to work alongside the agency in their push to integrate zero and low-carbon methods into its practices.
His work involves looking at all types of projects from traditional ideas such as flood embankments to catchment-wide ideas using nature-based solutions such as Natural Flood Management to mimic natural methods to reduce flood risk and benefit biodiversity through increasing restored habitats. One of the most inspiring elements of the role to him is working to restore natural function to rivers, and in doing so to restore their natural function and the habitats they can support.
Before studying at CAT, Rob had a background in archaeology, running excavations on commercial sites destined for development for 15 years, but a desire to make a real difference to people’s lives led him to think about a career change and going back to studying.
Rob’s studies at CAT have given him more confidence in his field, particularly around carbon assessment which he feels he can now understand and challenge in his professional life, whilst he pursues his IEMA accreditation, (a short training course on Net Zero).
Despite the importance and difference his work in flood management has had already, Rob aims to move into the sustainable building industry. In the meantime, he is planning on continuing to work on and fulfil his dream of self-building a house using Passivhaus principles learnt from his MSc.
CAT was a wonderful and inclusive place to study, with a real range of people and interests represented that I have never been able to experience elsewhere.
