Societal and ecological benefits of collaborative, long-term flood risk management

Flood risk management provides many examples of the intersecting societal and ecological outcomes required for long-term hazard mitigation (e.g., floodplain buyouts and “room for the river”, dam safety and removal programs). This presentation examines how interagency collaboration and coordination not only provide a means to reduce the risk of flood hazards to people, but also provide opportunities for direct and indirect ecological benefits. Sustainability of socio-ecological systems requires resilience in the face of disturbance, and this presentation addresses the extended time scale of disaster management as it relates to sustained collaboration and long-term flood risk management.