With the rainy season upon us, many communities are once again preparing for the annual flooding that has become all too predictable. Year after year, governments promise that drains have been cleaned, watercourses restored, and flood mitigation projects completed. Yet, with the first heavy rainfall, homes, businesses, and roads are once again under water.
It is clear that the current approach is not working. Flood management cannot be limited to emergency responses after disasters occur. Government must adopt a long term strategy that includes regular maintenance of drains and rivers, enforcement against illegal dumping and squatting on waterways, upgrading drainage infrastructure to cope with today’s rainfall patterns, preserving natural floodplains, and holding agencies accountable for results rather than promises.
Climate change is bringing more intense rainfall, making yesterday’s drainage systems inadequate for today’s realities. Prevention is far less costly than repeated flood damage, insurance claims, business losses, and hardship for families.
The public deserves more than annual assurances. It deserves a flood management system that works before the rain falls, not after the damage is done
Gordon Laughlin,
Westmoorings
