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<br />buildings in floodplains. This policy enables more intensive and extensive development of floodprone
<br />areas, particularly along the coast, that over the long run would be far better left vacant.
<br />
<br />All of the major tenets of sustainability are ideas that have been supported and fostered by floodplain
<br />managers for decades, They include recognition of the interconnectedness of environmental,
<br />economic, and social actions; a balance of present needs with future needs; recognition of natural and
<br />geographic boundaries rather than artificial or political boundaries within which to make decisions;
<br />and a locally based, participatory planning and decisionmaking process. More and more, disaster
<br />resiliency is being included as another component of community sustainability. As used in relation to
<br />natural disasters, resiliency or resistance means being able to "bounce back" fairly quickly from an
<br />extreme natural event (such as an earthquake, tornado, hurricane, or flood) without permanent,
<br />intolerable damage to or disruption of natural, economic, social, or structural systems and without
<br />massive amounts of outside assistance.
<br />
<br />Ideally, if it has given proper attention to the principles of sustainable development and disaster
<br />resilience, a community should be able to withstand natural extremes such as floods without
<br />experiencing them as "catastrophic" or "disastrous" events. They could pass as uneventfully as might
<br />a particularly hot summer day, or a heavy snowfall. A community that has undertaken a
<br />comprehensive set of disaster mitigation activities along with its measures for sustainability gains
<br />multiple benefits, Not only is the community safer and more resistant to disaster, it is also more
<br />economically and environmentally durable and more efficient. Lives are saved, injuries are minimized.
<br />Essential services can reach people in need, Devastating property damage and community disruption
<br />are minimized. Business can resume more quickly or continue as usual in the face of hazardous
<br />events, Homes and schools can avoid costly repairs. And local governments meet their mandate to
<br />ensure the health, safety, and welfare of their citizens, even in the face of floods of disastrous
<br />magnitude, In addition, the residents of such a community enjoy a stronger economy and a better
<br />quality oflife on a day-to-day basis.
<br />
<br />Activities that strengthen a community's overall social, economic, and environmental sustainability
<br />in most instances also contribute to its disaster resiliency, and vice versa, Thus, working toward
<br />sustainable communities (and, eventually, regions, nations, and the world) goes hand in hand with
<br />working towards resilience to disasters.
<br />
<br />It is easy to see that there are many, many possible activities and techniques that can be used by
<br />people to become "flood resilient": warnings, flood control measures, maintaining floodprone areas
<br />as open space, insuring property against flood damage, installing flood-resistant construction,
<br />managing stormwater, and so on, Virtually any action that reduces future flood losses or impacts
<br />(usually called "mitigation") is contributing both to flood resiliency and to long-term sustainability
<br />although, depending on the circumstances, some contribute more than others. The fact that mitigation
<br />serves so many purposes simultaneously explains why it is considered the cornerstone of disaster-
<br />resilience and is at the center of flood management activities in the United States today.
<br />
<br />The ASFPM supports the concept of sustainability, and encourages its adoption as a basis for
<br />programs and policies for floodplain management at all levels, It is holistic, broad-based, sensitive to
<br />the natural functions of floodplains, and demands local control and responsibility. In the rest of this
<br />document, the ASFPM explains some of the ways in which this recommendation can be implemented.
<br />
<br />. Sustainability should be incorporated into the practice of floodplain management.
<br />
<br />Association of State Floodplain Managers
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<br />National Flood Programs in Review 2000
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