The People versus Nature: floods, infrastructure and planning for climate change

The current flood events in Queensland and northern Western Australia are causing havoc and creating hardship for residents, farmers and industry alike. Right now, it is a matter of survival, but as soon as the danger passes, getting things back to some semblance of normality will be the imperative. Understandably so - communities need to return to their livelihoods as quickly as possible.

There is, however, another side to this issue in the context of planning for a future in which natural disasters occur with increasing frequency and on a greater scale.

Yesterday's Australian Financial Review contributed to the discussion by publishing an opinion piece discussing the need for more dams to mitigate the impact of future flood events and capture water for use during periods of drought. The response from some politicians has been predictably short-termist: now is the time to focus on the immediate needs of the affected people.