flood report summary

Australia has an extremely variable climate, and is truly a ‘land o droughts and ooding rains’. Throughout Australia’s long history, the ood‑drought cycle has been a natural part o lie, with periods o severe drought ollowed by extensive ooding playing an important and defning role in shaping the Australian landscape and how we live. Early Australians typically established settlements on oodplains, along waterways and on coasts, where ood and water were plentiul. As a result, oods have had a proound eect on human lie and property. As devastating as recent events have been, they are not unique: 77 oods were recorded in Australia in the past 35 years o the 20th century; eight major oods were recorded in Australia in the 19th century; 23 in the 20th century; and six in the frst decade o the 21st century. And nature will undoubtedly continue to surprise us into the uture. It is also important to recognise that oods can have some benefcial consequences, or example through replenishing water resources. Most o Australia’s unique ora and auna have adapted to and depend on ood cycles, relying on the oods to trigger breeding, disperse seed, provide ood sources and connect habitats. In order to reduce the risk o oods to communities, economies and environments into the uture, it is important that lessons rom past oods, and advancements in knowledge and technology, are eectively communicated and applied. An important contribution the science and engineering community can make is to help reduce this risk, by minimising the chance that communities and inrastructure will be ooded, and mitigating the negative impacts when oods occur. We know a lot about ood risk: more than 1000 Australian ood studies have been conducted, and scientists and engineers have developed a very sophistic ated armoury o methods to orecast and manage oods to reduce risk. However, there is still uncertainty about the many interacting actors that inuence such an event, how these actors are changing in time, and the consequences o a ood i it occurs. Moreover , nature is unpredictable, so no matter how detailed and clever our calculations and management strategies may be, there will always be a risk o ood. O course, social science and government policy also play pivotal roles in reducing the negative impacts o oods, improving emergency responses and optimising recovery o communities ollowing a ood. Improvements in this regard rely not just on social science research, but also on government leadership and community awareness and engagement. Given the science and engineering outlook o this document, ood emergency responses and recovery, which are primarily rooted in social science and policy, will not be addressed. This report concentrates on foods caused by rainall and on three key themes to understanding foods. The three themes are foods and their consequences, food orecasts and warnings, and managing foods. The ollowing paragraph s expand on these three themes, pose the questions we have sought to respond to, and summarise the answers. Introduction The ooded Balonne River cuts a road near St George, Queensland, March 2010. Photo by: Michael Marston Answers Q uestions Understanding foods: Understanding Floods: Questions & Answers

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8/6/2019 Flood Report Summary

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/flood-report-summary 1/2

Early Australians typically established settlementson oodplains, along waterways and on coasts,where ood and water were plenti ul. As a result,oods have had a pro ound e ect on human li eand property. As devastating as recent events havebeen, they are not unique: 77 oods were recordedin Australia in the past 35 years o the 20th century;eight major oods were recorded in Australia inthe 19th century; 23 in the 20th century; and six inthe frst decade o the 21st century. And nature willundoubtedly continue to surprise us into the uture.

It is also important to recognise that oods can havesome benefcial consequences, or example throughreplenishing water resources. Most o Australia’sunique ora and auna have adapted to and dependon ood cycles, relying on the oods to trigger breeding, disperse seed, provide ood sources andconnect habitats.

In order to reduce the risk o oods to communities,economies and environments into the uture,it is important that lessons rom past oods,and advancements in knowledge and technology,are e ectively communicated and applied.

An important contribution the science andengineering community can make is to help reducethis risk, by minimising the chance that communitiesand in rastructure will be ooded, and mitigating the negative impacts when oods occur. We knowa lot about ood risk: more than 1000 Australianood studies have been conducted, and scientists

and engineers have developed a very sophisticatedarmoury o methods to orecast and manage oodsto reduce risk. However, there is still uncertaintyabout the many interacting actors that in uencesuch an event, how these actors are changing intime, and the consequences o a ood i it occurs.Moreover, nature is unpredictable, so no matter howdetailed and clever our calculations and managementstrategies may be, there will always be a risk o ood.

O course, social science and government policy alsoplay pivotal roles in reducing the negative impactso oods, improving emergency responses andoptimising recovery o communities ollowing a ood.Improvements in this regard rely not just on socialscience research, but also on government leadershipand community awareness and engagement.Given the science and engineering outlook o this document, ood emergency responses andrecovery, which are primarily rooted in social scienceand policy, will not be addressed. This reportconcentrates on foods caused by rain all and onthree key themes to understanding foods. The three

themes are foods and their consequences, foodorecasts and warnings, and managing foods. Theollowing paragraphs expand on these three themes,pose the questions we have sought to respond to,and summarise the answers.

Introduction

The ooded Balonne River cuts a road near St George,Queensland, March 2010. Photo by: Michael Marston

AnswersQ uestionsUnderstanding foods:

Understanding Floods: Questions & Answers