Preparing for an Emergency

摘要

Our understanding of what water security means and how we can enhance security has evolved significantly under the brutal influence of some pivotal events. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and other federal agencies—and indeed the entire nation—understandably focused on terrorism as the primary threat. After the 2005 hurricane season permanently disrupted the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and caused widespread devastation, encompassing hundreds of water and wastewater systems, we had a stark reminder that devastation can also come from nature. More recently, the tornado that destroyed Greensburg, Kan., illustrated that natural disasters are by nornmeans confined to the Gulf Coast?