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Michel Jarraud, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization
We currently witness an aggravation of flood issues in terms of the associated loss of lives, economic damages and degradation of floodplains' long-term productivity. In many parts of the world, vast sectors of the population's livelihoods depend, directly or indirectly, on the resources provided by flood-prone lands. In this situation, it is of paramount importance to appropriately balance development needs and flood risks. There is considerable evidence worldwide that people may not readily abandon the flood-prone areas which provide their source of livelihood and, under special circumstances, they may simply be unable to do so. Accordingly, there is often a need to ensure sustainability in the flood plains, even at considerable risk to life and property. This is, however, an objective which can only be achieved through an integrated approach to flood management. ........more
 Margareta Wahlström, Assistant Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, United Nations
The poor have the most to lose in a disaster, both as individuals and as countries, as they lack the information, resources, capacities and social safety nets needed to protect their assets and livelihoods. I have been concerned that the IWRM was not implemented enough in the area of water-related disaster risk reduction in practice. Therefore, I strongly wish that the proposed mechanism of the HelpDesk for Integrated Flood Management would cause large ripples to make a significant change. I am confident that the IFM HelpDesk would work closely with ongoing efforts and provide a comprehensive guidance to a wide range of actors, including water resource managers, disaster risk managers, and climate change adaptation stakeholders.........more
Shinichi Kitajima, Ambassador of the Japanese Permanent Mission to the United Nations, Geneva
No matter how excellent a concept is, we cannot solve the problem without action based on a long-term strategy, detailed planning, and on-site experience. The IFM HelpDesk is a mechanism to help those who are in need, and it incorporates a number of existing partnerships for flood management. ........more
Please visit the IFM HelpDesk, www.floodmanagement.info!!
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