Ebook: Coping With Flash Floods

This volume is the proceedings of a NATO-sponsored Advanced Study Institute (ASI) entitled "Coping with Flash Floods" held in Ravello, Italy on 8-17 November 1999. Thirty-five participants from nine countries attended the ASI, representing both developed (United States, England, Italy, and Mexico) and developing (Poland, Uganda, Greece, Ukraine, and Slovenia) countries. Participants from a variety of professions and disciplines were involved including a hydraulics engineering professor from Slovenia, four members from the Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, and a U. S. Geological Survey research hydrologist from Puerto Rico. Although the ASI was officially composed of lecturers and students, these roles were blurred as each person shared information and ideas, and learned from the other participants during the 10 days. One of the highlights of the ASI was the collaborative effort of participants from different countries and disciplines. It was particularly extraordinary that the two engineers from Greece made the most passionate pleas for long term sustainable solutions to flash floods. A further example is that while there were only three participants with social science backgrounds, most of the recommendations focus on the policy and societal priorities, more than the engineering, hydrologic or meteorologic efforts.

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The four parts of this book - The Problem, Managing the Problem (Mitigation), Managing the Problem (Warnings and Technology), and Related Hazards - is a collaborative effort across different boundaries and disciplines, identifying key challenges, areas of progress and opportunities. The book emphasises that it is the social science links that need most attention, viz., research on warnings, warning response and risk communication. Further, the work must be seen in the context of sustainable policies, so that economic growth is not compromised and a longer term outlook is adopted.