Flooding is no longer a rare disaster—it’s a growing certainty. In 2023 alone, 7.7 million people across 82 countries were displaced by weather-related disasters. A NASA study warns that extreme events are becoming more frequent, longer-lasting, and more severe, with 2023’s impact doubling the average from 2003 to 2020.
As climate change intensifies, so must our response—not just in cities, but in the rural and private lands that make up over 85% of the U.S. landscape. This includes farms, homes, and businesses that increase risk through impervious surfaces, overgrazing, and poor soil management. If our soil can’t absorb water, the next flood will be worse.
Step One: Let the Land Be Sponge
Healthy soil is our first line of defense against floods. When soil can absorb and slow down water, it reduces both the volume and speed of runoff.
How do we create water-absorbing, resilient landscapes?
- Preserve natural landforms like slopes, rocky hillsides, and wetlands.
- Plant native vegetation, which promotes root depth and soil porosity.
- Rotate crops and avoid overgrazing, which compacts soil and resists infiltration.
Where erosion has occurred from flood damage or land mismanagement, restore riverbanks and stabilize slopes to bring back the land’s natural water-buffering abilities.
Step Two: Work With Nature, Not Against It
Don’t grab the wood-chipper! After a flood, the instinct is often to “clean up” everything. From the high point of the flood waters down to the river, remove only human-made debris. Leave natural woody debris—logs, branches, and vegetation—in place.
Why? Because:
- It creates natural buffers that slow water during future floods.
- It encourages the regrowth of native vegetation.
- It helps rebuild the riverscape, making ecosystems more resilient.
Think like a beaver—a master engineer of natural water systems. Beavers build dams not to fight water, but to shape it. Their systems reduce flood peaks and restore wetlands. Let nature heal itself, and it will protect you in return.
Step Three: Rethink Infrastructure
We’ve long relied on “grey infrastructure” like levees, seawalls, and drainage tunnels and swales. These systems are aging, expensive, and reaching the limits of their effectiveness. They protect in the short term, but don’t adapt or heal after a flood. Worse, by increasing the quantity and velocity of flood water, they often amplify damage downstream.
Instead, invest in nature-based solutions:
- Wetlands, which soak up excess water and carbon like sponges.
- Floodplains safely spread and slow floodwaters.
- Reforestation and soil regeneration, which build long-term resilience.
Why It Matters: The Payoff of Proactive Land Management
Proactive, ecological approaches don’t just reduce flood risk—they deliver lasting benefits:
- Lower damage and displacement from future floods.
- Healthier rivers and ecosystems.
- Increased groundwater recharge is essential for drinking water and agriculture.
- Cooler local climates and carbon storage to help mitigate climate change.
Resilience Is Rooted in the Land
We can’t stop the rain—but we can choose how we respond to it. Building resilience means working with water, not against it. It means managing land with care, patience, and respect for natural systems. When nature wins, we all do.
