Flood management in Canada at the crossroads

Abstract

Although Canadian flood management efforts have gained worldwide recognition, flood damages continue to increase. The current practice for preventing, responding to and recovering from floods in Canada is described by focusing attention on the 1997 Red River and 1996 Saguenay River floods. A set of cultures is identified that contribute to the trend of increasing flood damages. These include a culture of conflict, a culture of land development, a culture that impeded native people from easily implementing flood management programs, a culture of institutional fragmentation and a culture of dependency. These foster an inevitable cycle of increasing flood damages. The potential of recent proposals made by Emergency Preparedness Canada and the Insurance Bureau of Canada to address these cultures is assessed. While these documents represent significant progress, they continue to adopt an intermittent project rather an ongoing program perspective, fail to identify the need to adopt specific initiatives tailored for aboriginal communities, and ignore the need to enhance the operational capacity of relevant public and private participants. Addressing these requirements will further reduce future losses and vulnerability.     

Values and floodplain management: Case studies from the Red River Basin,Canada

Where floods are prevalent, decisions on how to mitigate vulnerability are made within a social-cultural context that includes values (and related customs, norms, beliefs, technology) of local people, which have evolved through interactions with the physical environment. Consequently, the success of floodplain management and flood mitigation activities is determined, at least in part, by the nature of values that impact the decision-making process. This paper explores this contention by considering the community values context surrounding flood risk management in two small Canadian communities in the Red River Basin.

Using a qualitative methodology that includes semi-structured interviews with residents, community values are identified and accounted for in the context of flood vulnerability. Values discussions are organized around seven broad categories: community identity and community attributes; community economic development; technical and nonstructural approaches; civic engagement; flood legacy; personal rights and liberties; and shared values. Challenges posed by key identified values and their policy implications are considered. Some values are found to act as constraints if sustainable floodplain management practices are to be realized.     

蓄滞洪区规划与管理信息系统开发研究--以大黄铺洼为例

目前,我国很多地区特别是海河流域面临着严峻的水资源短缺,而洪水资源化是缓解水资源短缺的措施之一.在此背景下,通过蓄滞洪区合理调度运用,将分洪标准以下的中小洪水部分转化为可供利用的水资源的设想随之形成.为配合这一设想的研究,结合"十五"攻关项目"海河流域蓄滞洪区洪水资源化利用示范研究",以海河流域大黄铺洼蓄滞洪区为例,开发了蓄滞洪区规划与管理信息系统.本文对该系统的总体目标、逻辑结构、软硬件环境及主要功能进行了介绍.该系统的运用为大黄铺洼蓄滞洪区洪水风险调度、洪水资源化利用、合理经济发展与生态修复模式的选择等建议的提出提供了决策支持.进一步改进完善该系统,提高其通用性,能够为其他蓄滞洪区的规划管理提供决策借鉴.     

秦淮河流域中游地区两变量洪水风险分析

秦淮河流域地处长江下游,其中游地区主要位于南京市江宁区境内,受汛期强降雨、上游洪峰以及下游长江水位顶托影响,洪水灾害频繁。针对秦淮河流域中游地区暴雨洪水影响因素众多的特点,利用二维Gumbel模型,开展了基于暴雨与洪水水位两变量的洪水风险分析。结果显示,与单变量极值分布相比,两变量极值分布综合考虑了暴雨和洪水的不同频率特征,能够较为全面地分析水文极值事件的统计规律,从而使洪水风险分析更加符合实际情况。     

洪水预报调度决策支持系统的设计与开发

基于C/S和B/S相结合的结构模式,开发了九龙江流域洪水预报调度决策支持系统。该系统采用了马斯京根矩阵解法、卡尔曼滤波实时校正、交互式调度方案生成、ASP等关键技术,实现了信息管理、洪水预报、洪水调度和系统管理等功能。     

珠江流域干旱事件的多变量区域分析及区域分布特征

区域干旱特征分析会为短期和长期的水资源管理提供关键的信息,因而对珠江流域进行区域干旱特征分析,建立了干旱严重程度-面积-频率曲线(Severity-Area-Frequency,SAF).传统的区域性分析都是单变量的,而水文事件往往具有多个属性,为此采用Chebana等提出的多变量的L-moment均一性检验方法对流域进行均一性检验.研究发现珠江流域可分为4个均一性区域,对各均一性区域进行干旱严重程度-面积-频率分析的基础上,发现珠江流域在发生严重干旱时经常是全流域的,这对整个珠江流域的水资源管理造成很大压力.同时珠江三角洲所在的区域干旱风险相对其他区域更高,珠三角地区城市密集,人口众多,高风险的干旱无疑会对该地区的发展造成重大影响,需引起重视.     

An ethical analysis of hydrometeorological prediction and decision making: The case of the 1997 Red River flood

Weather, climate, and flood predictions are incorporated into human decisions in a wide variety of situations, including decisions related to hazardous hydrometeorological events. This article examines ethical aspects of such predictions and decisions, focusing on the case of the 1997 Red River flood in Grand Forks, North Dakota and East Grand Forks, Minnesota (US). The analysis employs a formal ethical framework and analytical method derived from medical and business ethics. The results of the analysis highlight issues related to forecast generation, communication of forecast meaning and uncertainty, responsibility for the use of forecasts in decision making, and trade-offs between the desire for forecast certainty and the risk of missed events. Implications of the analysis for the broader arenas of weather, climate, and flood prediction and disaster management are also discussed.     

An ethical analysis of hydrometeorological prediction and decision making: The case of the 1997 Red River flood

Weather, climate, and flood predictions are incorporated into human decisions in a wide variety of situations, including decisions related to hazardous hydrometeorological events. This article examines ethical aspects of such predictions and decisions, focusing on the case of the 1997 Red River flood in Grand Forks, North Dakota and East Grand Forks, Minnesota (US). The analysis employs a formal ethical framework and analytical method derived from medical and business ethics. The results of the analysis highlight issues related to forecast generation, communication of forecast meaning and uncertainty, responsibility for the use of forecasts in decision making, and trade-offs between the desire for forecast certainty and the risk of missed events. Implications of the analysis for the broader arenas of weather, climate, and flood prediction and disaster management are also discussed.     

淮河流域洪涝变化可预报时间研究

在先前的淮河流域洪涝变化基本特征、混沌特征、耗散性等基础上,采用Ｋｏｌｍｏｇｏｒｏｖ熵和Ｌｙａｐｕｎｏｖ指数谱分析了淮河流域洪涝变化预报时间。研究表明,淮河流域洪涝变化长期不可预报,短期是可以预报的,其可预报时间为４￣６年,以４年为较合适。     

Community-based Disaster Management During the 1997 Red River Flood in Canada

This paper examines the relationship between community preparedness and response to natural disaster and their level and pattern of community development. This is done by investigating preparation and response to the 1997 Red River Flood by three rural communities in Manitoba, Canada. The communities were selected because of their different ethnic mix and associated level and pattern of community development. The hypothesis was supported that the level and pattern of community development affect community capacity to respond to flooding. Communities characterised by higher levels of physical, human and social capital were better prepared and more effective responders to the flood. However, where the pattern of community development was characterised by high levels of social capital, decision-making processes were complicated.     

湖南省湘江流域2006年"7·15"暴雨-洪水巨灾分析

基于自然灾害系统论,结合灾区实地调查结果和部分适时气象、水文资料,从降雨、洪水、灾情以及减灾模式等对湖南省湘江流域2006年"7·15"暴雨-洪水巨灾进行了分析.结果表明农村的主要致灾因子是洪水、内涝、滑坡、泥石流,而城市主要为内涝;此次巨灾是在强热带风暴引发的暴雨、湘江流域中上游多山的地形条件等自然因素,和工程建设不合理、灾害预警机制不够完善、人们防灾意识薄弱以及灾害风险转移机制不够成熟等人为因素的共同作用下导致的.在此基础之上,提出了建立综合减灾范式、提高巨灾应急管理能力等应对巨灾的对策.     

Climate forecasts in disaster management: Red Cross flood operations in West Africa, 2008

In 2008, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) used a seasonal forecast for West Africa for the first time to implement an Early Warning, Early Action strategy for enhanced flood preparedness and response. Interviews with disaster managers suggest that this approach improved their capacity and response. Relief supplies reached flood victims within days, as opposed to weeks in previous years, thereby preventing further loss of life, illness, and setbacks to livelihoods, as well as augmenting the efficiency of resource use. This case demonstrates the potential benefits to be realised from the use of medium‐to‐long‐range forecasts in disaster management, especially in the context of potential increases in extreme weather and climate‐related events due to climate variability and change. However, harnessing the full potential of these forecasts will require continued effort and collaboration among disaster managers, climate service providers, and major humanitarian donors.     

Public participation in NGO-oriented communities for disaster prevention and mitigation (N-CDPM) in the Longmen Shan fault area during the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquake periods

ABSTRACT

The Longmen Shan fault area in southwest China is one of the world’s most active earthquake zones. The epicenters of the two most recent earthquakes, the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake (8.0?Ms) and the 2013 Lushan earthquake (7.0?Ms), both of which caused serious losses, were only 85?km apart. Community-based disaster risk reduction is the foundation of the disaster management system pyramid and is critical to the success of ‘sustainable hazard mitigation’. Based on multiple collaborative stakeholder perspectives, this paper examines public participation in an NGO-oriented Community for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (N-CDPM) in the period between the two earthquakes as a multi-stage problem; N-CDPM establishment, normal operations, disaster testing, and continuous improvement. Multi-stage field research was conducted in the affected areas in the Longmen Shan fault area to examine the collaboration in each stage, after which the differences were compared across the four stages based on eight key indices; scales, core stakeholders, core network stability, mean number of lines, mean collaborative level, governments, and individual and public organization participation. The government participation, individual participation, and public organization participation are then discussed. This paper provides a novel research approach to CDPM in multiple earthquake regions and gives rich insights into the collaboration between the government and the public for N-CDPM.     

基于GIS/AHP集成的洪水灾害综合风险评价——以淮河流域为例

根据影响洪水灾害风险的致灾因子危险性、孕灾环境稳定性与承灾体易损性,以淮河流域为示范研究区,以县为行政单元,综合考虑降雨、径流量、河流、地形、人口、经济等指标,基于GIS与AHP集成方法得到了淮河流域洪水灾害危险性评价图和淮河流域洪水灾害脆弱性评价图,并采用"加"模型计算公式得到了洪水灾害综合风险评价图,进行了相应的结果分析。     

Urban riverbank residents’ evaluation of flood evacuation policies in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

The results of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) as a part of a survey among the urban riverbank residents on the Red River in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, indicated that the risk of over-dike flooding, set at 2 ft above the 1997 flood water level, was a significant determinant of both voluntary and mandatory evacuation, compared to those set at the 1996 or 1997 levels. Mandatory evacuation was more preferred over voluntary evacuation when the likelihood of flooding was at its most severe, and the opposite relationship was the case when the likelihood was low. The notification time for evacuation, suggested as 1, 2, and 4 days, proved to be an insignificant attribute, whereas the respondents indicated significant preference for full flood compensation over an offer of either 80% or 90% flood relief, irrespective of the alternatives of voluntary or mandatory evacuation.     

长江洪涝灾害的可持续发展综合防御对策体系

洪涝灾害严重制约了长江流域可持续发展, 本文分析了洪涝灾害的主要成因, 从合理协调人口——资源环境——社会经济三者之间深层次关系出发, 建立了长江洪涝灾害的可持续发展综合防御对策体系     

近50年湘江流域干湿气候变化若干特点

采用M-K突变、小波分析、空间变异系数、经验正交函数分解法（EOF）和旋转经验正交函数分解法（REOF）等方法,对近48年来湘江流域40个测站干湿指数（Z指数）进行了分析。研究表明：湘江流域1960年代前期和1980年代为干旱期,1990年代为湿润期。1980年代末有向湿润转变趋势,2003年后又开始向干旱转变。湘江流域干湿的年际变化较小,降水相对稳定,存在3年、6年和10年和21年4个特征时间尺度,且未来几年湘江流域将仍处于干旱期。湘江流域干湿变化具有很好的主体一致性,依据空间异常类型可分为南部、中部、北部和西南部4个区域。     

An Integrated Flood Disaster Prevention System for the Sustainable Development of the Yangtze River Basin

An overview of the flooding history of the Yangtze River Basin (YRB) indicates the tendency ofmore frequent occurrence of flood disasters in the area due to intensified human activities anddeterioration of the ecological environment of waters.According to records,flood disastersoccurred every83years in YRB before1 5 2 4,while during the period1 5 2 5～ 1 85 1 the frequencyincreased up to once every2 0 years on the average.It further increased to once every5 yearsduring 1 92 5～ 1 949and onc…     

太湖流域洪涝灾害损失模拟及预测

太湖流域是我国经济最发达的地区之一,当遭受洪涝灾害后,经济损失极为严重。本文采用地理信息系统方法,模拟了１９９１年洪涝灾害的淹没决策提供了依据。根据预测,当２０１０年在发生１９９１年型特大洪涝淹没时,灾害经济损失将可高达７７３亿元,约为１９９１年７倍,因此太湖的防洪任务极为严峻。     

Urban riverbank residents' evaluation of flood evacuation policies in Winnipeg,Manitoba, Canada

The results of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) as a part of a survey among the urban riverbank residents on the Red River in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, indicated that the risk of over-dike flooding, set at 2ft above the 1997 flood water level, was a significant determinant of both voluntary and mandatory evacuation, compared to those set at the 1996 or 1997 levels. Mandatory evacuation was more preferred over voluntary evacuation when the likelihood of flooding was at its most severe, and the opposite relationship was the case when the likelihood was low. The notification time for evacuation, suggested as 1, 2, and 4 days, proved to be an insignificant attribute, whereas the respondents indicated significant preference for full flood compensation over an offer of either 80% or 90% flood relief, irrespective of the alternatives of voluntary or mandatory evacuation.