Association of State Floodplain Managers
The Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) is an organization of professionals involved in floodplain management, flood hazard mitigation, National Flood Insurance Program, and flood preparedness, warning and recovery. ASFPM is a respected voice in floodplain management practice and policy in the United States because it represents flood hazard specialists of local, state and federal government, research community, insurance industry, and the fields of engineering, hydrologic forecasting, emergency response, water resources and others.
ASFPM recognizes the role of climate change in flooding events, and supports climate adaptation measures. ASFPM’s policy priority is to help prepare the Nation to respond to all flood challenges, including those that may be associated with or worsened by climate change.
ASFPM developed the "Coastal No Adverse Impact Handbook" (funded by NOAA) and materials for one-day Coastal No Adverse Impact workshops. In addition to requests from ASFPM chapters, these workshops have been well received by NOAA's National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs). NERRs have funded five of the workshops and developed a hands-on mapping exercise that has become a core component of the workshops.
ASFPM has partnered with the Coastal States Organization under a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant for the Hurricane Sandy Coastal Resiliency Program. The overall goal of the 2-year project is to increase the number of communities making voluntary, effective measures to increase coastal resiliency by taking advantage of the window of opportunity that has been created by NFIP Reform (BW-12) legislation, and the need for communities to take steps to make flood insurance affordable. The program is supporting projects that reduce communities’ vulnerability to the growing risks from coastal storms, sea level rise, flooding, erosion and associated threats through strengthening natural ecosystems that also benefit fish and wildlife.
The ASFPM has an official Policy Statement on climate adaptation:
“Since disruptive climate impacts are already underway and anticipated to increase, ASFPM adopts this policy statement to support efforts to reduce the risk of loss of life and property due to flooding, regardless of whether a given flood risk or event is attributable to or exacerbated by climate change.
ASFPM’s policy priority is to help prepare our members and the Nation to respond to all flood challenges, including those that may be associated with or worsened by climate change. ASFPM policy prioritizes adaptation strategies for the built environment, including structures, infrastructure, cultural resources, commerce, and industry, and related natural resources within and dependent on the floodplain. Consistent with long-held policy, ASFPM emphasizes hazard mitigation measures that are cost-effective, permanent, and socially, ecologically, and economically sustainable.
ASFPM supports a risk management approach that restores and preserves natural coastal and riverine dynamics. Although more national attention has been paid to sea-level rise and coastal flooding concerns, ASFPM policy emphasizes as co-equal the need for data, planning, hazard mitigation, and implementation of adaption strategies to address changing inland climatic patterns as well.”
Phone: (608) 828-3000
Sectors:
Related Resources:
- Subdivision Design and Flood Hazard Areas
- Coastal No Adverse Impact Handbook
- Community Rating System (CRS) Green Guide for Community Resilience
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