Life on a floodplain seems steady and uninterrupted till the waters from elsewhere surge over the landscape. Water from a large storm on a distant upstream highland eventually runs through a channel inadequate to handle the discharge, causing a flood.
Floods generated by distant, unseen storms have changed lives for millennia, but the lure of living near a stream has always been great. Large rivers provide easy access to water, and they serve as avenues of commerce, a convenience that attracts people to floodplains. Unfortunately, those who build along a stream do not always see their connection to distant highlands. Failure to understand that connection poses risk. Convenience makes every stream a River Lethe. Even streamside residents who have either experienced flooding or understand the potential for flooding seem to opt for convenience in spite of risk. (How soon they forget the last flood!)
Floods destroy property and life every year for four reasons: Not all flooding is predictable, so some victims never know of their immediate danger; people fail to make adequate preparations for potential floods; some fail to heed warnings; and many who are aware of the risks still opt for building and rebuilding on floodplains.
All of us live on a floodplain of sorts, some closer, some farther from the banks of the stream. At times, all of us find ourselves inundated by actions at a distance. Are we really the wise species? Can we learn any lesson from life on a floodplain? What role does memory play in shaping our present and future?
No one can predict every flood generated by distant human storms, but everyone can study connections to people and events at economic, social, or political distance. Knowledge of what is happening upstream diminishes risk. Drinking from the River of Forgetfulness jeopardizes life. Safety on the floodplain of life requires incessant and inconvenient preparation and vigilance.
Floods generated by distant, unseen storms have changed lives for millennia, but the lure of living near a stream has always been great. Large rivers provide easy access to water, and they serve as avenues of commerce, a convenience that attracts people to floodplains. Unfortunately, those who build along a stream do not always see their connection to distant highlands. Failure to understand that connection poses risk. Convenience makes every stream a River Lethe. Even streamside residents who have either experienced flooding or understand the potential for flooding seem to opt for convenience in spite of risk. (How soon they forget the last flood!)
Floods destroy property and life every year for four reasons: Not all flooding is predictable, so some victims never know of their immediate danger; people fail to make adequate preparations for potential floods; some fail to heed warnings; and many who are aware of the risks still opt for building and rebuilding on floodplains.
All of us live on a floodplain of sorts, some closer, some farther from the banks of the stream. At times, all of us find ourselves inundated by actions at a distance. Are we really the wise species? Can we learn any lesson from life on a floodplain? What role does memory play in shaping our present and future?
No one can predict every flood generated by distant human storms, but everyone can study connections to people and events at economic, social, or political distance. Knowledge of what is happening upstream diminishes risk. Drinking from the River of Forgetfulness jeopardizes life. Safety on the floodplain of life requires incessant and inconvenient preparation and vigilance.
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