Toronto Statement

STATEMENT OF THE 4TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON FLOOD DEFENCE (ISFD4)
6-8 MAY 2008, TORONTO CANADA

1 ACKNOWLEDGES

• that floods in their natural state play a vital role in support of economic and environmental sustainability; • that costs associated with floods in terms of both lives lost and damages sustained continue to rise on a global scale; • that societies of all types continue to occupy floodplains and delta areas that are highly prone to the incidence of severe flooding; • that the threat from climate change continues to grow and changes the frequency and severity of floods and coastal storms; • that flood management is defined as the management of the flood risk by integrated measures of legislation, economy, administration, structures, technologies and education; and • that international and regional cooperation and collaboration, particularly within trans-boundary basins, is critical to the flood damage reduction process.

2 TAKES INTO ACCOUNT

• that trans-boundary measures and institutional arrangements are improving, albeit on an incremental basis; • that a well designed and properly maintained flood control system with moderate standards, safety and credibility, and proper utilization provides a vital framework for living with floods; • that the role that non-structural measures, such as floodplain expansion and public awareness, play in reducing the overall flood risk continues to expand in importance; • that flood-related information technology continues to improve and be diffused throughout all economic sectors; • that the principles of integrated floodplain management, taking into account economic, social, and environmental dynamics, continues to gain in stature; and • that the measures used for flood adjustment are highly variable and region dependent.

3 RECOMMENDS

• the continued advancement of integrated floodplain management principles and practices, including a more fully balanced approach of structural and non-structural flood protection measures; • the development of variable procedures to more effectively manage the flood risk within various sectors of society; • the full exploitation of basic and advanced information technologies to improve environmental representation, flood characterization and prediction, and to foster inter-sectoral communications, and collaboration; • the advancement of strategies to involve a broader range of groups and individuals in decision-making processes based on common, basin-wide visions; • the continued exchange of information related to flood management through regional and international initiatives and meetings; • the introduction of flood risk and impact assessment with any new development proposal; and • the enhanced awareness of local flood management capacities and the need for affected groups and individuals to assume their share of the risk.

4 AGREES

• to change the name from the "International Symposium on Flood Defence (ISFD)" to the "International Conference on Flood Management (ICFM)" • to distribute this statement at key international events, such as the 5th World Water Forum (Istanbul, 2009) and the Hyogo Framework for Action (Geneva, 2009)

5 INVITES

• the Ad Hoc Committee to organize a 5th ICFM to continue the exchange of innovative flood management research and practices and national, regional and international policy developments.