floods

In the era of unprecedented storms and flooding, unchecked development in the flood plain is a recipe for disaster. But cities can break the cycle of fill, build, and flood.

In the words of Elizabeth Kolbert, "Nothing is more important to life than water, and no one knows water better than Sandra Postel." Postel's new book Replenish: The Virtuous Cycle of Water and Prosperity is a "clear-eyed treatise" (Booklist, Starred Review) that offers a hopeful vision of a secure water future. It shows how cities and farms around the world are finding relief from an unexpected source: a healthier water cycle.

President Trump’s new executive order will roll back efforts to ensure our infrastructure and communities are resilient to flooding and climate change.

Over the past 75 years, American engineers have become very adept at managing water – collecting it, holding it and moving it away as fast as possible. Yet there is a better way to manage our water that costs far less.Rather than trying to push  away water, we are finding ways to adaptively manage our water using natural features and functions. If we start to think of our urban forests as ‘green infrastructure’ then we can include them as solutions to urban stormwater runoff and flooding. American Forests has estimated the value of forests for flood mitigation and air qu