scholarly journals Dynamic Trends of Urban Flooding Mitigation Services in Shenzhen, China

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dihang Xu ◽  
Zhiyun Ouyang ◽  
Tong Wu ◽  
Baolong Han

Urbanization is characterized by population agglomeration and the expansion of impervious land surfaces. As a result of ongoing urbanization, rain and flood events have increasingly affected the well-being of residents in cities across the world. This should draw attention to the role of urban ecosystems in providing runoff retention/flood mitigation services. Focusing on Shenzhen, a major city in southern China, we used a hydrologic model based on the Soil Conservation Service curve number (SCS-CN) model to evaluate this flood reduction ecosystem service and its dynamic trends based on long-term remote sensing data from 1980 to 2018. We find that Shenzhen’s capacity for flood reduction gradually decreased due to changes in land use. The spatial distribution showed strong reduction capacity in the eastern part of the city and weak capacity in the western part. Additionally, the city’s total flood reduction capacity decreased by over 1.88 × 108 m3 over the past two decades. This loss of ecosystem-based flood reduction capacity undermines Shenzhen’s resilience against extreme weather events. Due to climate change, Shenzhen should advance its plan to build a “Sponge City” rooted in the conservation, restoration, and construction of urban ecological spaces.

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine G. A. Pendrey ◽  
Marion Carey ◽  
Janet Stanley

This letter responds to the article by Cusack et al., ‘Extreme weather-related health needs of people who are homeless’ (Australian Journal of Primary Health, 2013, 19(3), 250–255), which addressed the impacts of extreme weather on the health of the homeless population in inner city Adelaide. We compare the findings of Cusack et al. to our own original research, based on interviews with service providers to the homeless in urban and rural Victoria. We further place this issue in the broader context of climate change, which is crucial given the expected increase in extreme weather events and associated health impacts.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002073142110121
Author(s):  
Mary C. Sheehan

Behind the coronavirus headlines the year 2020 set multiple extreme weather records, including unprecedented wildfires in Australia and California, massive flooding in China, and back-to-back hurricanes in Central America. The impacts on the well-being of local populations have been devastating. We reviewed these extreme weather events, together with the year’s newly published climate and health science reports, and identified three important themes for building health resilience in the decade ahead: (1) preparing for greater magnitude and intensity of climate hazards, extreme events, and population health impacts; (2) better anticipating cascading and compound impacts on population well-being, particularly for the most vulnerable; and (3) identifying appropriate, effective preparedness tools and strategies. While decarbonizing the economy is the urgent goal to protect both human and planetary health from a changing climate, 2020 demonstrates that recognizing the likely magnitude and complexity of future extreme weather events, and preparing local public health agencies and communities with the knowledge and tools to respond to them, will be essential in this critical decade.


2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 2841-2857 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Di Luccio ◽  
Guido Benassai ◽  
Giorgio Budillon ◽  
Luigi Mucerino ◽  
Raffaele Montella ◽  
...  

Abstract. Extreme weather events bear a significant impact on coastal human activities and on the related economy. Forecasting and hindcasting the action of sea storms on piers, coastal structures and beaches is an important tool to mitigate their effects. To this end, with particular regard to low coasts and beaches, we have developed a computational model chain based partly on open-access models and partly on an ad-hoc-developed numerical calculator to evaluate beach wave run-up levels and flooding. The offshore wave simulations are carried out with a version of the WaveWatch III model, implemented by CCMMMA (Campania Centre for Marine and Atmospheric Monitoring and Modelling – University of Naples Parthenope), validated with remote-sensing data. The waves thus computed are in turn used as initial conditions for the run-up calculations, carried out with various empirical formulations; the results were finally validated by a set of specially conceived video-camera-based experiments on a micro-tidal beach located on the Ligurian Sea. Statistical parameters are provided on the agreement between the computed and observed values. It appears that, while the system is a useful tool to properly simulate beach flooding during a storm, empirical run-up formulas, when used in a coastal vulnerability context, have to be carefully chosen, applied and managed, particularly on gravel beaches.


MAUSAM ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-104
Author(s):  
JAI SINGH PARIHAR

The research in remote sensing application in India started first in agriculture way back in 1969. With the improvement in satellite sensors, data processing algorithms, models and computational power over time, this research culminated into development of operational projects of CAPE and FASAL, tackling an important issue of operationally providing pre-harvest crop production forecast to stakeholders. This review paper details the sequential developments in the use of remote sensing data for crop production forecasting. The scientific developments in the use of single and multi-temporal optical and microwave satellite images for crop identification and yield estimation in India have been reviewed.  The case studies on use of remote sensing data for crop assessment under extreme weather events are also presented. These include the assessment of crop damage due to extreme weather events of floods, drought, and hailstorm. Examples on use of remote sensing for crop damage assessment due to pest and diseases and forecasting their incidence using satellite derived weather parameters are reviewed.


2020 ◽  
pp. 074391562097656
Author(s):  
Laurel Steinfield ◽  
Srinivas Venugopal ◽  
Samuelson Appau ◽  
Andres Barrios ◽  
Charlene Dadzie ◽  
...  

Environmental disruptions, such as extreme weather events or poisoning of natural resources, are increasing in frequency and intensity. These critical global problems demand market- and policy-based solutions. Adopting a transformative consumer research perspective, this article examines the effects of environmental disruptions on the livelihoods of a very vulnerable group: nature dependent prosumers (NDPs). NDPs often live in subsistence markets, but the impact of environmental disruptions on their lives can have repercussions throughout local and global systems. This article thus offers practitioners and researchers a framework– the ‘cross-scale intersectionality matrix’ (CSIM)— to better understand the differing impacts of environmental disruptions and envisage effective solutions. The CSIM reveals how environmental disruptions impact marketing systems’ exchanges of production and consumption: i) across multiple spatiotemporal scales, resulting in cross-scale impacts (per eco-systems theory); and ii) in diverse ways for groups/individuals experiencing intersectional power asymmetries such as geo-political/economic power, classism/ableism and sexism (per intersectionality theory). Building on insights from the CSIM framework, this paper proposes improvements to research, and policy and market-based solutions intended to enhance the well-being of NDPs.


Author(s):  
Chris Yuill ◽  
Natascha Mueller-Hirth ◽  
Nguyen Song Tung ◽  
Nguyen Thi Kim Dung ◽  
Pham Thi Tram ◽  
...  

This article explores why landscape is a crucial element in researching the relationship between environment and well-being. The main point we make is that human social agents are embedded in particular landscapes, and it is in landscapes that environmental changes are experienced, which can have implications for well-being. We draw from a variety of perspectives on landscape that understands a fundamental creative relation between humans and landscape and recent developments in neo-materialism theorising. Landscape is understood here as an assemblage of different forms of matter, animate and inanimate objects, as well as symbolic and cultural processes. A case study is also presented to indicate how landscape can be studied in relation to environment and change. Using the conceptual ideas laid out in the first section of the article, we analyse landscape, environment and well-being in Xuan Thuy National Park in North Vietnam. The area is part of a precarious coastal region where extreme weather events have impacted on the well-being of both humans and other matter. This article concludes with suggestions on the use of this landscape approach in researching environment and well-being.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thea Wübbelmann ◽  
Steffen Bender ◽  
Benjamin Burkhard

<p>Extreme weather events, failure of climate-change mitigation and adaptation, and biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse are some of the main global risks. Climate change is one of the major drivers for ecosystem and biodiversity loss as well as for higher frequency and intensity of natural disasters and extreme weather events. Consequently, ecosystem health and the provision of ecosystem services (ES) is affected by the increasing pressures.</p><p>However, the provision of ecosystems must be ensured in order to guarantee and maintain human well-being. To define the benefits that people obtain from ecosystems there exist the concept of ES that links social and environmental systems to achieve sustainable use and discover trade-offs between different ES.</p><p>With respect to the increasing number of flood events (pluvial and fluvial) and of affected persons in the last years, one important key ES under external pressure is flood regulation. It describes the capacity to reduce flood hazards. Amongst other factors, climate change has a high impact on flood characteristics. Currently, most studies analyse the present status of flood regulating ES. Changing climate conditions and associated functionalities of the flood regulating ES are mostly not taken into account. This study shows the importance of assessing the current and future functionalities of flood regulating ES. In order to adapt ecosystems and their functionalities to projected climate impacts, it is important to consider regional climate information in the estimation process for flood regulating ES.</p>


Hydrology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 104
Author(s):  
Said A. Mejia Manrique ◽  
Eric W. Harmsen ◽  
Reza M. Khanbilvardi ◽  
Jorge E. González

Flooding during extreme weather events damages critical infrastructure, property, and threatens lives. Hurricane María devastated Puerto Rico (PR) on 20 September 2017. Sixty-four deaths were directly attributable to the flooding. This paper describes the development of a hydrologic model using the Gridded Surface Subsurface Hydrologic Analysis (GSSHA), capable of simulating flood depth and extent for the Añasco coastal flood plain in Western PR. The purpose of the study was to develop a numerical model to simulate flooding from extreme weather events and to evaluate the impacts on critical infrastructure and communities; Hurricane María is used as a case study. GSSHA was calibrated for Irma, a Category 3 hurricane, which struck the northeastern corner of the island on 7 September 2017, two weeks before Hurricane María. The upper Añasco watershed was calibrated using United States Geological Survey (USGS) stream discharge data. The model was validated using a storm of similar magnitude on 11–13 December 2007. Owing to the damage sustained by PR’s WSR-88D weather radar during Hurricane María, rainfall was estimated in this study using the Weather Research Forecast (WRF) model. Flooding in the coastal floodplain during Hurricane María was simulated using three methods: (1) Use of observed discharge hydrograph from the upper watershed as an inflow boundary condition for the coastal floodplain area, along with the WRF rainfall in the coastal flood plain; (2) Use of WRF rainfall to simulate runoff in the upper watershed and coastal flood plain; and (3) Similar to approach (2), except the use of bias-corrected WRF rainfall. Flooding results were compared with forty-two values of flood depth obtained during face-to-face interviews with residents of the affected communities. Impacts on critical infrastructure (water, electric, and public schools) were evaluated, assuming any structure exposed to 20 cm or more of flooding would sustain damage. Calibration equations were also used to improve flood depth estimates. Our model included the influence of storm surge, which we found to have a minimal effect on flood depths within the study area. Water infrastructure was more severely impacted by flooding than electrical infrastructure. From these findings, we conclude that the model developed in this study can be used with sufficient accuracy to identify infrastructure affected by future flooding events.


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