Be fertile, then, and multiply; abound on earth and subdue it…Every creature that is alive shall be yours to eat; I give them to you as I did the green plants…Only flesh with its lifeblood in it you shall not eat… Anyone familiar with the creation story will immediately realize that the above words are a repeat of what God said to Adam and Eve at the completion of creation (cf. Genesis 1:28) as well as the instructions given them by God when God “handed over” the garden to them (cf. Genesis 2:15-16). To a curious mind, it is a realization that might raise the question: are we looking at a second ‘creation’ by God? 
When God let the great flood destroy the earth, the intention was to wipe from the surface of the earth all that God had created because of what creation had become, save for Noah who had found favor with God (cf. Genesis 7:4). God was going to ‘make’ a new creation out of Noah. And so it was only right that after the flood there be a new beginning. It was a beginning such as the one at creation. Noah was going to be the new ancestor meaning that all the privileges and responsibilities that had been given to Adam and Eve were transferred to him. Noah was to set the tone and give the direction. Just as God had done with Adam and Eve, Noah was given a set of commands which he was expected to obey. There were things he could and could not do. The future and existence of this ‘new’ creation was going to depend on Noah remaining obedient to God’s voice.  
When God made a covenant with Noah to never again destroy what God has created, God was simply reiterating the fact that God is a creator, not a destroyer. In addition, God was extending to Noah and his descendants the invitation to be co-creators with God. Instead of being the cause for the annihilation of creation, Noah and his descendants were to join God in promoting and nurturing life. Whereas Adam and Eve had failed in this responsibility, God was counting on Noah and those who will come after him to succeed because it was part of the covenant that God had made.