Evaluation of Green and Grey Flood Mitigation Measures in Rural Watersheds

Floods cause considerable damages worldwide and mitigation of their adverse effects through effective protection measures is needed. Along with the commonly applied “grey” infrastructure, “green” measures that can offer additional benefits, such as ecosystem services, are increasingly being considered lately. While the recent research tendencies are focused on the effectiveness and the value of green measures in urban areas, this paper presents a comprehensive financial evaluation of green and grey flood mitigation scenarios for a smaller rural watershed. A micro-scale damage model that builds on the hydrodynamic modeling of hazard, detailed asset identification, and damage assessment is presented and applied for evaluation of benefits from various flood mitigation measures in the Tamnava watershed in Serbia. Four scenarios are considered: (1) existing flood protection system; (2) green scenario involving new detention basins; (3) grey infrastructure enhancement by rising of the existing levees and diverting flood discharges; and (4) green-grey scenario that combines scenarios (2) and (3). The benefits (loss reduction) are the greatest with the green scenario and marginally higher with the combined green-grey scenario. The results suggest that for small rural watersheds, a holistic, integrative approach that includes both types of infrastructure can provide the most effective flood risk mitigation.

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A Conflict between Traditional Flood Measures and Maintaining River Ecosystems? A Case Study Based upon the River Lærdal, Norway

Water ◽

10.3390/w13141884 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (14) ◽

pp. 1884

Author(s):

Ana Juárez ◽

Knut Alfredsen ◽

Morten Stickler ◽

Ana Adeva-Bustos ◽

Rodrigo Suárez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing Data ◽

Freshwater Ecosystems ◽

River Channel ◽

Flood Mitigation ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Flood Events ◽

Protection Measures ◽

River Ecosystems ◽

Hydraulic Models

Floods are among the most damaging of natural disasters, and flood events are expected to increase in magnitude and frequency with the effects of climate change and changes in land use. As a consequence, much focus has been placed on the engineering of structural flood mitigation measures in rivers. Traditional flood protection measures, such as levees and dredging of the river channel, threaten floodplains and river ecosystems, but during the last decade, sustainable reconciliation of freshwater ecosystems has increased. However, we still find many areas where these traditional measures are proposed, and it is challenging to find tools for evaluation of different measures and quantification of the possible impacts. In this paper, we focus on the river Lærdal in Norway to (i) present the dilemma between traditional flood measures and maintaining river ecosystems and (ii) quantify the efficiency and impact of different solutions based on 2D hydraulic models, remote sensing data, economics, and landscape metrics. Our results show that flood measures may be in serious conflict with environmental protection and legislation to preserve biodiversity and key nature types.

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A Time-Integrated Index for Flood Risk to Resistance Capacity

Water ◽

10.3390/w11071321 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 1321 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Osvaldo M. Rezende ◽

Luciana F. Guimarães ◽

Francis M. Miranda ◽

Assed N. Haddad ◽

Marcelo G. Miguez

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Flood Control ◽

Urban Infrastructure ◽

Flood Mitigation ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Open Spaces ◽

Flood Plains ◽

Sequence Of Events ◽

Integrated Index ◽

Main Target

The lack of open spaces and the intense land use occupation in flood plains makes floods in consolidated urban areas difficult to mitigate. In these areas, setting a standard pre-defined return period for projects can limit and even preclude flood mitigation actions. However, it is possible to propose flood control alternatives that are compatible with available spaces. Thus, determining how much the original risk is reduced and how significant the residual risk can be becomes the main target. In this context, a time-integrated index for risk to resistance capacity is proposed to address these questions. This index correlates the exposure of buildings and urban infrastructure to the hazard of a given flood and is then evaluated over a project horizon through a sequence of events. The proposed index is applied to the Canal do Mangue catchment, a highly urbanized watershed located in Rio de Janeiro. The results demonstrate the difficulty of designing flood mitigation measures in extremely occupied watersheds and the importance of evaluating residual risks associated with proposed projects. As an additional result, a scenario with concentrated measures is compared to another with distributed interventions, evidencing the greater coverage of the latter.

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Individuals with Hearing and Visual Disabilities during the First Pandemic Wave in Italy

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph181910208 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (19) ◽

pp. 10208

Author(s):

Luciano Bubbico ◽

Saverio Bellizzi ◽

Salvatore Ferlito ◽

Antonino Maniaci ◽

Raffaella Leone Guglielmotti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Services ◽

Risk Mitigation ◽

Communication Barriers ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Visual Disabilities ◽

Protection Measures ◽

Rehabilitation Care ◽

Health And Social Services ◽

Remote Services ◽

The Impact

Background. The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed radical behavioral and social changes in the general population, significantly impacting the lives of individuals affected by disabilities. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on noninstitutionalized subjects with sensorineural disabilities during the first COVID-19 wave in Italy. Methods. A 39-item online national survey was disseminated from 1 April 2020 to 31 June 2020 via social media throughout Italy to communities of individuals with proven severe sensorineural disabilities, affiliated to five national patient associations. The survey collected extensive information on the socio-demographic profile, health, everyday activities, and lifestyle of individuals with hearing and visual disabilities. Results. One hundred and sixty-three respondents with hearing (66.9%) and visual (33.1%) disabilities returned a usable questionnaire. The mean age of interviewees was 38.4 ± 20.2 years and 56.3% of them were females. Despite the vast majority of respondents (77.9%) perceiving their health status as unchanged (68.8% of interviewees with hearing deficits vs. 96.3% of those with visual impairments), about half the interviewees reported sleep disorders during lock-down, more likely those with visual deficits. Remote services were seemingly more effective for business than school activities were. Furthermore, although just 18.8% of respondents rated remote rehabilitation care unsatisfactory, only 12.8% of interviewees felt supported by health and social services. The vast majority of respondents were concerned about the future and the risk of SARS-CoV-2 contagion, particularly individuals with hearing impairments. Among the various risk mitigation measures, facemasks caused the greatest discomfort due to communication barriers, particularly among interviewees affected by hearing disabilities (92.2% vs. 45.7%). The most common request (46.5%) of respondents to reduce the inconveniences of country lock-down was improving the access to and delivery of health and social services (19.3%), followed by the use of transparent masks (17.5%). Conclusions. Although health protection measures such as face masks and social distancing play a key role in preventing and controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the unmet needs of disabled individuals should be carefully considered, especially those affected by sensory disabilities. Tailored access to health and social services for individuals affected by sensorineural disabilities should be implemented. Additional actions should include the use of face shields as a valid alternative to reduce communication barriers linked to hearing-impairment, as well as the improvement of remote services, especially distance learning at school.

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Flood Mitigation Measures in Urban Areas of Malaysia Using the Integrated Catchment Modelling Approach

IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science ◽

10.1088/1755-1315/479/1/012014 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 479 ◽

pp. 012014

Author(s):

MRM. Shahrulnizam ◽

SK. Adzim ◽

SA. Kamaruddin

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Flood Mitigation ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Catchment Modelling ◽

Modelling Approach

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Urbanisation, climate change and its impact on water quality and economic risks in a water scarce and rapidly urbanising catchment: case study of the Berg River Catchment

H2Open Journal ◽

10.2166/h2oj.2019.027 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 146-167 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

James D. S. Cullis ◽

Annabel Horn ◽

Nico Rossouw ◽

Lloyd Fisher-Jeffes ◽

Marlé M. Kunneke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Water Quality ◽

Developing Countries ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Risk Mitigation ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Wicked Problem ◽

World Population ◽

River Catchment ◽

Impacts Of Climate Change

Abstract By 2050 it is predicted that 67% of the world population is expected to be living in urban areas, with the most rapid levels of urbanisation taking place in developing countries. Urbanisation is often directly linked to the degradation of environmental quality, including quality of water, air and noise. Concurrently, the climate is changing. Together, the negative impacts of climate change and urbanisation pose significant challenges, especially in developing countries where resources to mitigate these impacts are limited. Focusing on the Berg River Catchment in South Africa, which is experiencing increasing levels of urbanisation, the impacts of climate change, the ‘wicked problem’ of service delivery to the historically disadvantaged within a developing country, persistent infrastructure backlogs, and where high unemployment is prevalent, this paper explores the increasing water quality risks due to climate change and rapid urban development and the likely direct and indirect economic impacts that this will have on the agriculture sector, which is a key contributor to the regional and national economy. The results give support to the need to invest in risk mitigation measures including the provision of basic services, the upgrading and maintenance of wastewater treatment plants and investing in ecological infrastructure.

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A quantitative flood risk analysis methodology for urban areas with integration of social research data

Natural Hazards and Earth System Science ◽

10.5194/nhess-12-2843-2012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 2843-2863 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

I. Escuder-Bueno ◽

J. T. Castillo-Rodríguez ◽

S. Zechner ◽

C. Jöbstl ◽

S. Perales-Momparler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Risk Analysis ◽

Flood Risk ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Risk Mitigation ◽

Quantitative Estimation ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Risk Awareness ◽

Flood Risk Analysis ◽

Flooding Risk

Abstract. Risk analysis has become a top priority for authorities and stakeholders in many European countries, with the aim of reducing flooding risk, considering the population's needs and improving risk awareness. Within this context, two methodological pieces have been developed in the period 2009–2011 within the SUFRI project (Sustainable Strategies of Urban Flood Risk Management with non-structural measures to cope with the residual risk, 2nd ERA-Net CRUE Funding Initiative). First, the "SUFRI Methodology for pluvial and river flooding risk assessment in urban areas to inform decision-making" provides a comprehensive and quantitative tool for flood risk analysis. Second, the "Methodology for investigation of risk awareness of the population concerned" presents the basis to estimate current risk from a social perspective and identify tendencies in the way floods are understood by citizens. Outcomes of both methods are integrated in this paper with the aim of informing decision making on non-structural protection measures. The results of two case studies are shown to illustrate practical applications of this developed approach. The main advantage of applying the methodology herein presented consists in providing a quantitative estimation of flooding risk before and after investing in non-structural risk mitigation measures. It can be of great interest for decision makers as it provides rational and solid information.

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Key Techniques and Risk Management for the Application of the Pile-Beam-Arch (PBA) Excavation Method: A Case Study of the Zhongjie Subway Station

The Scientific World JOURNAL ◽

10.1155/2014/275362 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yong-ping Guan ◽

Wen Zhao ◽

Shen-gang Li ◽

Guo-bin Zhang

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Risk Mitigation ◽

Environmental Safety ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Subway Station ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Construction Techniques ◽

Potential Risks ◽

Key Techniques

The design and construction of shallow-buried tunnels in densely populated urban areas involve many challenges. The ground movements induced by tunneling effects pose potential risks to infrastructure such as surface buildings, pipelines, and roads. In this paper, a case study of the Zhongjie subway station located in Shenyang, China, is examined to investigate the key construction techniques and the influence of the Pile-Beam-Arch (PBA) excavation method on the surrounding environment. This case study discusses the primary risk factors affecting the environmental safety and summarizes the corresponding risk mitigation measures and key techniques for subway station construction using the PBA excavation method in a densely populated urban area.

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Travel Demand Prediction during COVID-19 Pandemic: Educational and Working Trips at the University of Padova

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13126596 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 6596

Author(s):

Riccardo Ceccato ◽

Riccardo Rossi ◽

Massimiliano Gastaldi

Keyword(s):

Travel Demand ◽

Risk Mitigation ◽

Great Part ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Sustainable Mobility ◽

New Normal ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Demand Prediction ◽

Travel Decisions ◽

The University

The diffusion of the COVID-19 pandemic has induced fundamental changes in travel habits. Although many previous authors have analysed factors affecting observed variations in travel demand, only a few works have focused on predictions of future new normal conditions when people will be allowed to decide whether to travel or not, although risk mitigation measures will still be enforced on vehicles, and innovative mobility services will be implemented. In addition, few authors have considered future mandatory trips of students that constitute a great part of everyday travels and are fundamental for the development of society. In this paper, logistic regression models were calibrated by using data from a revealed and stated-preferences mobility survey administered to students and employees at the University of Padova (Italy), to predict variables impacting on their decisions to perform educational and working trips in the new normal phase. Results highlighted that these factors are different between students and employees; furthermore, available travel alternatives and specific risk mitigation measures on vehicles were found to be significant. Moreover, the promotion of the use of bikes, as well as bike sharing, car pooling and micro mobility among students can effectively foster sustainable mobility habits. On the other hand, countermeasures on studying/working places resulted in a slight effect on travel decisions.

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