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flood control projects have been built in this country, resulting in the prevention of a significant quantity of flood damage, However, only recently have vital nonstructural actions been brought onto the scene to complement the structural protection. What is more, the nation's citizens and policymakers have not recognized the inherent limits of existing statutes and prevailing policy to curtail excessive flood damage, In consequence, the nation faces continuation of the dismal cycle of losses, partial protection, further induced (though marginal) development, and more unnecessary losses. Action can and should be taken to change this situation, by emphasizing the wide array of nonstructural approaches that are available to mitigate flood losses, and by finding ways in which they can be combined with existing structural projects to yield a more balanced approach, Mitigation, successfully applied, contributes both to flood resiliency and to long-term sustainability. A shortcoming of some federal mitigation strategies is that they are based on solving a problem only after a property has been damaged, Although this approach ensures that efforts are applied to actual problem areas, for mitigation to be cost-effective and practical we must also carry it out in non- disaster settings. Using disaster assistance programs or flood insurance claim payments for mitigation is an important step, but it is only one relatively narrow and rare opportunity. Other strategies and techniques, like those described below, need to be considered. Many of these recommendations can be implemented by reallocating the resources already at hand. NONSTRUCTURAL MEASURES Nonstructural mitigation measures are efforts to manage the use of floodprone land so as to curb damage from the flooding that can normally be expected to occur. Support for this approach requires an appreciation of a larger picture than that sometimes evidenced by promoters of structural measures, Nonstructural techniques are a higWy effective, low-cost method of damage prevention that would greatly benefit from an institutionalized fostering of common sense instead of the current subsidization of unwise behavior. For example, channels and levees often are built to contain river flows, but these structures cut off human access to the river and also can result in unexpected-and potentially catastrophic---{\amage when the structures are breached or overtopped. A more balanced approach would be to build the levee, but site it farther away from the riverbank and complement it with nonstructural techniques such as purchasing and removing buildings that are too close to the water, requiring other buildings (those in the flood fringe) to be elevated, and keeping the vacated land in public ownership, This combination of structural and nonstructural measures will reduce flood losses, preserve and maintain natural riparian functions, and provide for recreation and public open space, Nonstructural alternatives have been insufficiently utilized, There has been a general-and not wholly inaccurate-perception that localities and individuals have preferred flood control structures to the exclusion of almost all other avenues of loss reduction. But now many local sponsors understand that there are alternatives to structures, especially those packaged to address multiple local needs such as open space, economic development, recreational opportunities, and jobs. Good evidence of this was the way communities and states flocked to the idea of buyouts of floodplain structures after the 1993 floods and other major floods since then, Nonstructural projects, however, still lack clear authorities and direction, . Institutional arrangements for delivering nonstructural programs after a disaster (modeled after those used after the Midwest floods) should be made permanent This has been done to a great extent, but it should not be allowed to backslide, Association of State Floodplain Managers -7- National Flood Programs in Review 2000