Changing Climate Adaptation: Reforming Flood Management

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Changing Climate Adaptation Reforming Flood
Management

• Hurricane Science for Safety Leadership Forum
• June 2009
• Andrew Fahlund
• Vice President for Conservation

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Every watershed has an historic range of water
conditions
Dry
Wet
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That range will increase with climate change
A shift in the average
Dry
Wet
More frequent and intense droughts
More frequent and intense storms
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If we fail to arrest greenhouse gas emissions...
Dry
Wet
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If we fail to arrest greenhouse gas emissions...
the extremes will become catastrophic.
Dry
Wet
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So if the climate is changing, what can we do?
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IGNORE!
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MOVE!
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ADAPT!
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Levees, dams, and channels
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Not very flexible
or effective.
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Chesterfield Valley, MO
www.conservation.state.mo.us/conmag/2003/06/20.htm
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Externalizing the cost of floodplain
development
causes flood damages to grow
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Natural defenses are more flexible
and provide a wider array of benefits.
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Levees should be a last line of defense.
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Criss
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Vehicles of Change?

• National Flood Insurance Program
• American Clean Energy and Security Act
• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
• Water Resources Development Act
• Farm Bill

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Sea Level Rise
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NFIP Reform

• Keep out of the hurricane business!
• Use climate models in all planning, including map
  revisions
• Establish rates based on risk
• Notify the public about residual risk behind
  levees and dams