Flood hazard science, policy, and values: A pragmatist stance

The New Orleans hurricane disaster of August 2005 amply illustrates the long-standing failure of relating science to effective policies for reducing flood losses. Particularly flawed is the myth that science constitutes a repository of authoritative knowledge that will objectively serve as the basis for effective policies. This flaw derives from presumptions about the nature of science that can be corrected by employing a pragmatic perspective. Science is the continuing search for truth by a dedicated community of practitioners. Its intrinsic fallibilism means it cannot authoritatively justify a particular action. Instead, its continuous activity provides a reliable guide to action.