Abstract
More than ever, scarcity - whether it be clean water, infrastructure investments, knowledge, well-justified decisions, a capable workforce, public knowledge and support, or technology - continues to be a positive forcing function for change in the industry. Risk informed governance - not just another aspect of infrastructure management - but the central and unifying concept in addressing this scarcity is our logical destination. Smart Governance knits together the challenges of scarcity with the organizational constructs of people, policies, and processes. This paper presents what we have learned in our journey through the facts of two national dam and levee safety risk governance cases in the USA and Spain, from the role of knowledge and innovation to the overall achievements and challenges, while not only and clearly answering the question can it be done, but also how to do it better.
