The Lubin Files

Stopping floods with water

Floods can devastate crops and residential areas.  Sometimes riverbanks that are prone to flooding are lined with levees to protect from possible devastation.  However, levees are not infallible and sometimes give way, as they did during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  Now it appears that the failure of levees can be prevented using water, according to a recent article in The Economist.  To be more specific, clever devices that harness water can block floods.

Disaster Management

The November-December 2007 issue of Asia Pacific Tech Monitor has a special feature on Natural Disaster Management Technologies - it covers the use of indigenous skills in disaster reduction, drought impact mitigation, the use of space technology and other related issues.  FAO staff can find this journal in the library Reading Room.