Description

Summarized by Donald P. Moynihan, UW La Follette School of Public Affairs

In April 2009 a conference was held in Madison to consider what could be learned from the severe Wisconsin floods of 2008. This book summarizes key contributions from that conference. It covers a broad range of relevant topics about flooding in Wisconsin such as hydrology, climate change, water quality, health impacts, mitigation options, human services and economic consequences.

Experts who spoke at the symposium emphasized stronger leadership, more communication, better research, greater education and stiffer laws to help control food damage and reduce the loss of property and lives. They also identified a need to fundamentally reconsider how policymakers ask residents to share risk and responsibility, and the role of government in shaping those choices.

Publication #: WIS-WRI