Red River Basin Disaster Information Network
On-Line Workshop
October 21, 1999 -- 12:00 Noon CST

An International Flood Mitigation Initiative (IFMI) Update

Brad Crabtree
Program Coordinator
North Dakota Consensus Council

"A Process for Developing an International Watershed Board"
Christina Edwards
formerly, Cornell University Graduate Student
currently, Environmental Engineer
First Environment, Inc.

Online Transcript
Download Transcript (MS Word File)
Text Transcript
IWB Diagram

The International Flood Mitigation Initiative was established for the purpose of

" ... engaging regional stakeholders in dialogue and partnerships aimed at helping communities and regions move from repetitive flooding and other natural disasters to effective, long-term disaster prevention and mitigation."

Program Coordinator, Brad Crabtree, presented an overview for the Red River Network this past June, and he returned to provide an update on activities, including a recent community study to provide IFMI participants with citizen perspectives on flood mitigation and to participate directly in developing goals and actions for basinwide flood mitigation.

Download IFMI Community Meeting Results: June-July 1999 (MS Word File)
Agreement for Flood Prevention and Mitigation on the Red River, 10/2/99 Draft (MS Word File)
North Dakota Consensus Council's Home Page

The second part of our workshop presented Christina Edwards, who participated in a related project while a graduate student at Cornell University last Spring. Christina will present a paper, "A Process for Developing an International Watershed Board," which she describes thusly:

In the "The IJC and the Twenty-first Century," specifically Section Three:Proposal I, the IJC recommends adopting a watershed based management system along the border. Although the idea is supported by both the United States and Canadian governments, it represents a monumental task. In our paper we develop a process by which the proposed watershed units can move from the current board of control system to an integrated approach. The process is quite adaptable to each watershed's specific needs, but by having a standardized approach, we feel it would ease the transformation. We also suggest a structure for the new watershed boards which incorporates all of the major stakeholders. To illustrate our procedure, we chose to examine the Red River - Souris Basin and describe how a total watershed approach could be developed in that area.

Download A Process for Developing an International Watershed Board (MS Word File)

About Brad Crabtree
As Program Coordinator, Brad Crabtree helps design, coordinate and facilitate Consensus Council programs aimed at building agreement on diverse issues of public policy and concern. His areas of responsibility at the Council include citizen participation, community and regional visioning, flood recovery and mitigation, and the integration of economic development and environmental management. Before returning to the region and joining the Council in 1997, Brad worked with several nongovernmental organizations on environment and economic policy issues. His background also includes consulting to the Netherlands Embassy in Washington and the Pew Charitable Trusts, a fellowship with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and two years developing environmental training programs in Brazil. A graduate of the Georgetown School of Foreign Service, Brad has an MA in history from Johns Hopkins University.

About Christina Edwards
Christina is a recent graduate of Cornell University with a Masters degree in Environmental Management. She received a BS degree in Environmental Engineering from the California Institute of Technology. She is currently working in New Jersey as an environmental engineer for First Environment, Inc.