Shana Udvardy
Shana Udvardy directs flood management policy for American Rivers. She has expertise in nonstructural, green infrastructure solutions to reducing flood risk. She spearheads federal flood management policy initiatives, working with members of Congress, relevant government agencies, and other decision-makers to advocate for 21st Century solutions to flood risk management to increase resiliency in a changing climate. She also works on the Upper Mississippi River Basin and coordinates with American Rivers’ field efforts in California, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Pacific Northwest.
Before joining American Rivers, Udvardy led the Georgia Conservancy’s water program and the Georgia Water Coalition’s advocacy efforts to establish a comprehensive statewide water plan for Georgia and badly needed state water conservation policies. She also previously worked for the Smithsonian’s Monitoring and Assessment of Biodiversity program where she led a comprehensive biodiversity assessment and monitoring program in Peru. She was a Peace Corps volunteer in Nicaragua where she worked with farmers to improve soil and water conservation practices.
Udvardy is a member of the National Floodplains Functions Alliance and serves on the steering committee of the Mississippi River Network, the Water Protection Network, and the Corps of Engineers’ National Levee Database. She also helps lead national flood insurance and flood mitigation initiatives with the Smarter Safer Coalition.
Related Resources from Shana Udvardy
Natural Defenses: Safeguarding Communities from Floods
American Rivers, 2010
