The Cultures of Flood Management in Canada: Insights from the 1997 Red River Experience

Abstract

Although Canadian flood management efforts have gained worldwide recognition, flood damages continue to increase. The current practice for preventing, responding to and recovering from floods in Canada is described in this paper by focusing attention on the 1997 Red River flood. A set of cultures that contribute to the trend of increasing flood damages is identified. These cultures include a culture of conflict, a culture of land development, a eurocentric culture that impeded native people from easily implementing flood management programs, a culture of institutional fragmentation and a culture of dependency, fostering an inevitable cycle of increasing flood damages. The recommendations arising from the International Joint Commission’s final report on future flood management initiatives are described and their ability to redress the current cultures are assessed. While the report represents significant progress in this area, it will require a level of commitment and leadership from senior governments that has not been seen for some time.