Floods

Citation

(2001), "Floods", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 10 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2001.07310dag.003

Floods

Floods

International Joint Commission (IJC)www.ijc.org

Via its Web site, the International Joint Commission (IJC) has released Living with the Red: A Report to the Governments of Canada and the USA on Reducing Flood Impacts in the Red River Basin. The IJC cautions that, although the 1997 trans-boundary Red River flood was a rare event, floods of the same magnitude, or even greater, can be expected in the future. Economic damage in the USA and Canada from the 1997 flood approached US$5 billion, and flood recovery and mitigation costs continue to grow. While a significant number of flood mitigation actions have been initiated since 1997, the people and property of the Red River Basin will remain at undue risk until comprehensive, integrated, bi-national solutions are developed and implemented. Solutions for one part of the basin must take into account the impacts on other parts of the basin. Flood protection for population centers, as well as small communities and individual isolated farmsteads in the Red River Basin, needs immediate attention.

The IJC found that there is no single solution to the challenge of protecting the people and property of the Red River Basin. Rather, all possible approaches, including both structural and non-structural damage reduction measures, must be considered in a comprehensive plan. The IJC recommendations provide a blueprint for action by governments at all levels.

Association of State Dam Safety Officialswww.damsafety.org

The Association of State Dam Safety Officials has launched a new Web site that features current news, information on upcoming conferences and seminars, a secure online membership application, a bibliography of dam safety references, and much more. Comments and suggestions regarding the site can be e-mailed to info@damsafety.org