Floodplains

“Floodplains have for too long been regarded as nuisance—places where floodwaters repeatedly wreak havoc with human settlements and commerce. Now we are finally beginning to view them as places to be respected and protected for their phenomenal natural productivity, their unique habitats, their myriad benefits to our societies, and for their beauty. This book tells that story.”—Brian Richter, President, Sustainable Waters and author of Chasing Water

“While engineers, scientists, farmers, environmentalists, and public officials continue to debate how best to deal with growing floodplain challenges, Opperman and his colleagues have charted a forward-looking and implementable approach that will allow nature and society to coexist on our precious and shrinking riverine landscape. They have made the case for reconciliation with nature!”—Gerald E. Galloway, Glenn L. Martin Institute Professor of Engineering, University of Maryland

“Opperman and coauthors comprehensively illustrate that riverine floodplains are strategic ecosystems of global importance, both for nature and humans. Their book emphasizes the immense diversity, complexity, and value of floodplains, and it outlines advanced strategies to sustainably manage them as coupled social-ecological systems.”—Klement Tockner, Professor of Aquatic Ecology at Freie Universität Berlin and President of the Austrian Science Fund