International Partnerships Elevate the Role of Floodplain Managers

Written by Phetmano Phannavong, P.E., CFM, DC
NFIP Coordinator and Floodplain Manager, Member of ASFPM’s International
Committee

I am often asked what other countries do toward flood risk management that we in
the United States have not done already. Since the U.S. is very large and has
such geographic diversity, it may be difficult to compare and apply the same approach
in managing flood risks as is used in other countries. But many benefits to be
gained from partnerships with our counterparts around the world include learning
innovative ideas in policies and projects on the ground and having a forum that
helps elevate our flood risk management role.

This October I had the opportunity to join 10 global delta cities at the Connecting
Delta Cities network workshop in Venice, Italy. I represented Washington, D.C.
at the workshop, hosted by the city of Venice and C40 Cities Climate Leadership
Group. C40 is an international organization focused on tackling climate change and driving
urban actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks. Connecting Delta Cities is a C40 network, which I became a member of in 2016, which seeks to adopt urban water management
and climate change adaptation best practices, particularly on coastal flooding,
through knowledge exchange and collaborations.