Information/Data Needs for Floodplain Management
The Red River Basin Workshop Report

Executive Summary

In the aftermath of the most recent Red River flood event, the governments of Canada and the United States agreed that steps should be taken to reduce the impact of future flooding. In June 1997, they asked the International Joint Commission (IJC) to analyze the cause and effects of the Red River flood of 1997 and to recommend ways to implement effective mitigation strategies. A subsequent Red River Basin Task Force study found the need to develop a relevant information base for interests within the basin. Such a capability would provide insights and advice for decision-makers on ways to reduce or prevent devastation such as occurred during 1997.

The concept of a bilateral information base for floodplain management sparked interest from a separate program underway within the U.S. Federal Government - the Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN). The goal of GDIN is to foster the more effective sharing of disaster-related information through the use of evolving information technologies. A partnership between the IJC Task Force and GDIN was established and series of workshops were held in 1998 in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Manitoba to solicit feedback on what the fundamental elements of such an information base might be.

The concerns expressed during the three workshops were wide and varied, relating to a number of organizational and technical challenges. For instance, individuals wanted to know what the lines of authority were during the various disaster management phases. The workshops highlighted the need for a basin-wide strategy and a sustainable management approach. Workshop participants wanted clear and simple access to relevant data and information, plus assurances that the data was accurate, timely and of the best quality. The nature of the information desired related to both real-time conditions, as well as historical events and trends. Participants also voiced an interest in improved education and training opportunities, along with knowledge of all related activities underway. Perhaps, most importantly, they wanted feedback mechanisms that would allow them to be part of the overall floodplain management process.

A great deal of the concerns expressed during the workshops, therefore, related to effective communications throughout the basin. After polling workshop attendants, it became clear that the use of the Internet has grown to a point that would allow for a more effective integration process involving public and private interests. This all points to the need for the development of a regional disaster information network that would facilitate a process to allow for the sharing of decision-based information and data products.

The value of such a disaster information network is its ability to integrate or exchange data among floodplain management organizations to better meet the needs of vulnerable community members and property that are at risk. The primary purpose of such a capability is to provide the means for collecting, storing, accessing, and making available basic information required to manage floodplain management activities.

Currently, existing information systems in the Red River Basin have been designed by each of the individual agencies to address their individual problems and requirements. Interagency communications are handled by routine telephone services, such as e-mail, fax, and voice communications. These are stand-alone systems, presenting 'Islands of Automation' that no longer fully meet the individual or collective needs of the community. Advances in information technologies allow us to devise alternate means by which to share vitally needed information.

This report describes the workshop process, the range of participants, and results that might provide the framework for a regional disaster information network. The report also lays the groundwork for the development of an information infrastructure with relevance to a range of stakeholders. One of the key components under consideration is a Decision Support System (DSS), which will allow for automated floodplain management queries and analyses to be performed by authorized users across the community of stakeholders. The workshop process made clear the need to organize and access data and information relevant to Red River Basin interests. The ultimate goal of this Red River Basin Disaster Information Network, therefore, is to provide tools and information resources that will continue to enhance coordination and cooperation throughout the entire basin on a sustaining basis, long after the Task Force has finished its assignment.