Perceptions and deeply held beliefs about responsibility for flood risk adaptation in Accra Ghana

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 631-644
Author(s):  
Jerry Chati Tasantab ◽  
Thayaparan Gajendran ◽  
Jason von Meding ◽  
Kim Maund
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Cultural Theory ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Flood Risk Management ◽  
Flood Hazards ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Climate change is predicted to increase the vulnerability of urban populations to flood hazards. Against this backdrop, flood risk adaptation has become pertinent. However, in Ghana, current flood risk management practice is fostered by a reactive culture. There is limited research on how communities and government agencies are engaging with flood risk adaptation in improving resilience. Therefore, this paper aims to analyse the culture of communities and agencies through the cultural theory of risk (CTR), towards understanding the flood risk adaptation in Accra, Ghana. Culture is deciphered using the beliefs held by residents and public agency officials. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative methodology, underpinned by the constructivist paradigm, was adopted to understand factors that influence flood risk adaptation in informal settlements. Data was gathered using household and institutional interviews in Glefe, Accra, Ghana. Findings The results show that both disaster risk management institutions and community members are deeply concerned about current and future flood risk. However, their cultural beliefs concerning flood risk and adaptation are contradictory, broadly framed by fatalist, individualist and hierarchist beliefs. The contradictory emergent beliefs contribute to a clash of expectations and create uncertainty about how to respond to flood risk, impacting the implementation of required adaptation measures. Developing a collaborative flood risk management framework and a shared understanding of adaptation approaches may be a better alternative. Originality/value This paper advances understanding of how culture influences flood risk adaptation in developing country context.

scholarly journals Traditional ecological knowledge and flood risk management: A preliminary case study of the Rwenzori

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bosco Bwambale ◽  
Moses Muhumuza ◽  
Martine Nyeko
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Collective Action ◽  
Traditional Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Flood Risk Management ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Flood Hazards ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Indigenous Plants ◽  
Managing Risk

The shift from flood protection to flood risk management, together with recent arguments on incorporating culture in managing risk, underscores the application of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in managing disasters from flood hazards. Yet, documentation and incorporation of TEK into practice remains a challenge. This article contributes to addressing this challenge by exploring the existence of TEK to flooding in the Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda. Using semi-structured interviews, data were collected from residents of the Nyamwamba watershed where intense flash floods caused deadly impacts in May 2013. Collected data were analysed using content, thematic and interpretive analysis techniques. Results indicate that TEK is exhibited through various traditional ecological approaches (TEAs). Although endangered, TEAs (conducted through collective action for a communally accepted end) are framed in three main activities: (1) assessment and prediction of rainfall and flood by the traditional hydro-meteorologist (diviner) and the traditional rain forecaster (rainmaker); (2) the mountain cleansing ritual (which act as flood risk awareness platform); and (3) immunising riverine communities through planting certain indigenous plants, which improve hydrological systems through their high conservation value for native ecological diversity. As most TEAs are conducted through collective action, they represent a platform to understand local capacities and enhance adoption of measures, and/or a source of knowledge for new measures to address flood risk. Therefore, full-scale investigations of these TEAs, determining how relevant TEAs are fine-tuned, and (scientific) measures enculturated based on fine-tuned TEAs could result in effective flood risk management in various flood hotspots where TEAs influence action.

Flooding due to torrential rainfall in Kumamoto, 2012

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 260-276
Author(s):  
Natainia Lummen ◽  
Sota Nakajo ◽  
Fumihiko Yamada
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Response Time ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Warning System ◽  
Flood Risk Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Flood Impacts ◽  
Sequence Of Events ◽  
Torrential Rainfall ◽  
Methodological Approaches

Purpose – This study aims to answer the following questions: what is the time scale in which areas downstream are affected by significant rainfall upstream, which areas are first affected, which areas are most affected, how effective is the current warning system in allotting an appropriate amount of time for evacuation, what has been the response time thus far utilizing the current warning system, how can this response time be im-proved using numerical simulation were addressed. The accu-rate prediction of floods and potential inundated areas is crucial for effective flood risk management and this paper analyses the model created for the July 12, 2012 Kumamoto flood event. Design/methodology/approach – Using GIS, LIDAR, SIS and levelling field survey data, the inundated areas were mapped; the sequence of events and the distribution of flood waters were recreated using numerical analysis and modelling. The inundated areas generated by the model were then compared to the actual inundated areas. Findings – The Tatsuda Ichi Chome area was completely inundated within 40 minutes of the first pooling of flood waters, whereas the Tatsuda Jin area was completely inundated within 20 minutes of the initial pooling of flood waters. Originality/value – This research provides empirical evidence of flood impacts and highlights the benefits that can be derived from incorporating accurate flood modelling results into flood risk management systems, as well as extends the methodological approaches of flood risk management.

scholarly journals The evolution of climate change guidance for fluvial flood risk management in England

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas S Reynard ◽  
Alison L Kay ◽  
Molly Anderson ◽  
Bill Donovan ◽  
Caroline Duckworth
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Flood Management ◽  
Flood Risk Management ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Floods are one of the biggest natural hazards to society, and there is increasing concern about the potential impacts of climate change on flood occurrence and magnitude. Furthermore, flood risk is likely to increase in the future not just through increased flood occurrence, but also through socio-economic changes, such as increasing population. The extent to which adaptation measures can offset this increased risk will depend on the level of future climate change, but there exists an urgent need for information on the potential impacts of climate change on floods, so that these can be accounted for by flood management authorities and local planners aiming to reduce flood risk. Agencies across the UK have been pro-active in providing such guidance for many years and in refining it as the science of climate change and hydrological impacts has developed. The history of this guidance for fluvial flood risk in England is presented and discussed here, including the recent adoption of a regional risk-based approach. Such an approach could be developed and applied to flood risk management in other countries, and to other sectors affected by climate change.

scholarly journals Integrated methodologies for flood risk management practice in European pilot sites

2008 ◽  
pp. 837-838
Author(s):  
J Schanze ◽  
P Bakonyi ◽  
M Borga ◽  
B Gouldby ◽  
M Marchand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Flood Risk Management

scholarly journals Investigating flood impacts and adaptation measures for the City of Toronto

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Ketchabaw
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Flood Control ◽  
Current Approach ◽  
Flood Risk Management ◽  
Storm Event ◽  
Master Plan ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Wet Weather ◽  
The City

The City of Toronto has had a long history with, and relationship to flooding. The most severe flooding on record in Ontario occurred in October of 1954 when Hurricane Hazel struck the City of Toronto and surrounding areas. This storm event initiated and helped to shape flood risk management and policy planning in the region. Overtime the city`s approach to stormwater and wet weather flows evolved from flood control to management. The current approach is guided by the city`s Wet Weather Flow Management Master Plan, an overarching plan to manage water flows in the city. With the expected impacts of climate change further increasing the need to effectively manage water in Toronto, it is important to look at and understand the measures the city is taking to plan for and relieve flood risk into the future. From analysis of existing literature and best practices in urban flood risk management, recommendations for improvements to the current master plan, policies, and management are made.

Building local/lay flood knowledges into community flood resilience planning after the July 2007 floods, Gloucestershire, UK

2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 675-688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey McEwen ◽  
Owain Jones
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Local Knowledge ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Flood Risk Management ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Flood Experience

A UK Cabinet Office review after the 2007 floods highlighted different types of knowledge needed for effective flood risk management, along with knowledge gaps. This paper explores key, emerging aspects of this expanded knowledge base, namely relationships between expert and local/lay knowledges, the changing nature of local knowledge of community flood risk, and how attempts are being made to incorporate local knowledge into science, policy and practice. Sustainable flood knowledge, as an aspiration, integrates expert, local and political knowledge to build community flood resilience. The research involved stakeholder interviews undertaken before and after the 2007 floods, Severn catchment, UK and examination of policy documentation. The paper focuses on scale issues in relation to knowledge types suggesting that local knowledge can be ‘expert’ in large-scale mapping of flood processes. It reflects on how local flood knowledges can be captured, shared, harnessed and used, and assimilated into governance structures for flood resilience planning. The paper recognises progress in integrating local knowledges in flood science and governance, but also highlights challenges. It concludes that the 2007 UK flood experience is generating new understandings of the value of local knowledges, and how these might be successfully used in flood risk management practice.

scholarly journals 3D-hydrodynamic modelling of flood impacts on a building and indoor flooding processes

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Gems ◽  
B. Mazzorana ◽  
T. Hofer ◽  
M. Sturm ◽  
R. Gabl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Numerical Modelling ◽  
Vulnerability Assessment ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Pure Water ◽  
Flood Plain ◽  
Flood Risk Management ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Flood Hazards ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Given the current challenges in flood risk management and vulnerability assessment of buildings exposed to flood hazards, three-dimensional numerical modelling of torrential floods and its interaction with buildings are presented. By means of a case study application, the FLOW-3D software is applied to the lower reach of the Rio Vallarsa torrent in the village of Laives (Italy). A single-family house on the flood plain is thereby considered very detailed and exposed to a 300 yr flood hydrograph. Different building representation scenarios, amongst an entire impervious building envelope and the assumption of fully permeable doors, windows and cellar shafts, are analysed. The modelling results give insight into the flooding process of the building’s interior, the impacting hydrodynamic forces on the exterior and interior walls and, further, quantify the impact of flooding a building on the flow field on the adjacent flood plain. The presented study means a step towards the development of a comprehensive physical vulnerability assessment framework. For pure water floods, it shows possibilities and limits of advanced numerical modelling techniques within flood risk management and, thereby, the planning of local structural protection measures.

scholarly journals 3-D hydrodynamic modelling of flood impacts on a building and indoor flooding processes

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1351-1368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernhard Gems ◽  
Bruno Mazzorana ◽  
Thomas Hofer ◽  
Michael Sturm ◽  
Roman Gabl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Numerical Modelling ◽  
Vulnerability Assessment ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Pure Water ◽  
Flood Plain ◽  
Flood Risk Management ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Flood Hazards ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Given the current challenges in flood risk management and vulnerability assessment of buildings exposed to flood hazards, this study presents three-dimensional numerical modelling of torrential floods and its interaction with buildings. By means of a case study application, the FLOW-3D software is applied to the lower reach of the Rio Vallarsa torrent in the village of Laives (Italy). A single-family house on the flood plain is therefore considered in detail. It is exposed to a 300-year flood hydrograph. Different building representation scenarios, including an entire impervious building envelope and the assumption of fully permeable doors, light shafts and windows, are analysed. The modelling results give insight into the flooding process of the building's interior, the impacting hydrodynamic forces on the exterior and interior walls, and further, they quantify the impact of the flooding of a building on the flow field on the surrounding flood plain. The presented study contributes to the development of a comprehensive physics-based vulnerability assessment framework. For pure water floods, this study presents the possibilities and limits of advanced numerical modelling techniques within flood risk management and, thereby, the planning of local structural protection measures.

scholarly journals Move from Resilience Conceptualization to Resilience Enhancement

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangwei Huang ◽  
Juan Fan
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Mathematical Formulation ◽  
Flood Management ◽  
Flood Risk Management ◽  
Flood Disaster ◽  
Ecological Resilience ◽  
Important Message

This chapter provides an analysis of various resilience definitions and depicts the differences in definition between engineering, ecological and socio-ecological resilience in an easy-to-understand graphic representation. It also articulates commons and differences between conventional flood risk management and resilience-based flood management and presents a mathematical formulation to facilitate resilience discussion. Furthermore, it highlights some studies and initiatives towards the operationalization of the resilience concept in flood disaster management practice. The most important message this chapter is intended to deliver is that resilience is not just about bouncing back. Indeed, it should be enhanced to bounce forward.

scholarly journals Rapid flood risk screening model for compound flood events in Beira, Mozambique

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (10) ◽  
pp. 2633-2646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik C. van Berchum ◽  
Mathijs van Ledden ◽  
Jos S. Timmermans ◽  
Jan H. Kwakkel ◽  
Sebastiaan N. Jonkman
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
Flood Risk Management ◽  
Coastal Protection ◽  
Flood Hazards ◽  
Flood Simulation ◽  
High Exposure ◽  
Coastal Cities ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Coastal cities combine intensive socioeconomic activities and investments with high exposure to flood hazards. Developing effective strategies to manage flood risk in coastal cities is often a costly and complicated process. In designing strategies, engineers rely on computationally demanding flood simulation models, but they can only compare a limited number of strategies due to computational constraints. This limits the efficacy of standard flood simulation models in the crucial conceptual phase of flood risk management. This paper presents the Flood Risk Reduction Evaluation and Screening (FLORES) model, which provides useful risk information in this early conceptual phase. FLORES rapidly performs numerous simulations and compares the impact of many storms, strategies, and future scenarios. This article presents FLORES and demonstrates its merits in a case study for Beira, Mozambique. Our results demonstrate that expansion of the drainage capacity and strengthening of its coastal protection in the southwest are crucial components of any effective flood risk management strategy for Beira.

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