Flooding is maybe the most obvious manifestation of the destructive power of water. Large floods can change history, and even localized floods can do significant damage to the people and communities affected. And floods are getting worse: climate change is increasing the intensity of rain events and hurricanes; development patterns are putting more people in harm’s way; and increasing imperviousness in our cities means more stormwater runoff.

But floods can also bring many benefits to ecosystems and the human communities that depend on them. We need to learn to live better with water in order to gain these benefits while minimizing the risk of damage.

The solutions have to happen at various scales: small bioswales to absorb urban stormwater; setback levees to give rivers room to flood; insurance and planning systems that encourage people to live in safer areas.