C Z E C H  E D I T O R I A L

  "Nature showed us who is master," said Czech Minister of the Environment Jiri Skalicky. The failure of flood defense systems and the human contribution to intensifying the effects of the deluge brought into question the basic assumption that humans can control and manipulate the environment at will. The floods rudely reminded people of the earth's complex interrelationships. The consequences of the extensive amelioration of agricultural lands, for example, showed that our shaping the environment never takes place in isolation, but rather has a myriad of often unforeseen and possibly disastrous consequences. Though it may have boosted crop yields, the artificial draining of fields proved to be in light of the flooding - in the words of Prime Minister Klaus - "one of the country's worst nightmares."

  Since the flood, "environmentalism" has gained new resonance in Czech society with media dominated by articles taking into account the environmental point of view. For example, the Union for the River Morava conservation group suddenly experienced strong reception in the press and even echoes in the halls of government. Newly announced plans by water authorities to focus exclusively on technical investments such as building dams now ring hollow next to criticism by the conservation group that such a solution is simplistic, expensive, and, as the floods showed, ineffective.

  The extent to which NGOs will influence government decisionmaking will provide indications as to what lessons Czech society has drawn from another aspect of the floods. Poor preparation, with regard to civil defense as well as flood prevention, shook popular faith in state authorities as the sole guarantors of the public's welfare. At the same time, the efforts of private citizens and communities to help themselves, and the truckloads of supplies and millions of crowns to their aid from all over the country, underscored the essential role that citizens and NGOs can play.

  The revolution of 1989 brought a government elected by the people, but also left the centralized system intact, with state authorities often behaving as arrogantly as in the heyday of the Soviet empires. Perhaps here, too, the floods will provide a catalyst for change to a more open society. The impetus that the release of toxic substances into floodwaters in Ostrava, Otrokovice, and elsewhere has given to efforts to secure the public's right to information is one sign of hope.

  The response to the floods in the coming months, maybe years, will show whether these opportunities are indeed realized. Whether we resettle on floodplains, invest in reservoirs rather than marshes, or, above all, leave these decisions to state authorities alone - this will show whether we have indeed learned from the flood.