Living with floods in El Salvador

Abstract:

Water issues impact all aspects of life. This is especially true for a rural community in El Salvador, which has developed an interesting relationship with almost annually recurring floods. What most would consider a natural disaster has been embraced by the majority of these community members; many even rely on it. This presentation aims to provide a realistic assessment of how some communities are interacting with and using natural disasters to their advantage, and discuss the implications for natural disaster preparedness planning, public policy, and scientist/government officials’ sometimes inappropriate strategies.