<
https://theconversation.com/some-councils-still-rely-on-outdated-paper-maps-as-supercharged-storms-make-a-mockery-of-flood-planning-192856>
"Whole towns and cities are seemingly locked into more frequent and severe
flooding. Business-as-usual development continues despite extreme weather and
sea-level rises due to climate change. While some local councils have online
mapping, others are still using outdated paper maps.
Repeated floods across eastern Australia have prompted the Planning Institute
of Australia to call for a framework to update flood mapping to take climate
change into account.
A flood map shows areas to be inundated based on risk modelling and past
weather data. As well as identifying at-risk areas for land-use planning, these
maps are needed for flood responses. The problem with static flood maps is they
don’t show critical details of the hazard a flood will present.
Councils have a duty of care to provide flood maps that accurately identify
areas at risk, as well as those that are safe. Yet existing information on
riverine and coastal flood risks was “patchy and outdated”, the institute said.
[…] there is a patchwork of datasets gathered and applied inconsistently by
councils and water authorities, who often do not have the budgets to pay for
the necessary modelling, or the political authority to apply controls at a
local level. This means that new housing and development can occur in
flood-prone areas […]
For many flooded communities, the immediate priority is to deal with the
emergency. However, we should not lose sight of how urban planning has affected
them, nor of the urgent need for planning frameworks to catch up with climate
change impacts."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
