A Time-Integrated Index for Flood Risk to Resistance Capacity

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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Evaluation of Green and Grey Flood Mitigation Measures in Rural Watersheds

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app10196913 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (19) ◽

pp. 6913

Author(s):

Ranko Pudar ◽

Jasna Plavšić ◽

Andrijana Todorović

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Risk Mitigation ◽

Damage Model ◽

Flood Mitigation ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Integrative Approach ◽

Loss Reduction ◽

Protection Measures ◽

System 2 ◽

Flood Protection System

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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Urban compactness and growth patterns in Spanish intermediate cities

Proceedings 24th ISUF 2017 - City and Territory in the Globalization Age ◽

10.4995/isuf2017.2017.6060 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Carlos Jiménez Romera ◽

Agustín Hernández Aja ◽

Mariano Vázquez Espí

Keyword(s):

Spatial Structure ◽

Urban Form ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Functional Integration ◽

Urban Infrastructure ◽

Growth Patterns ◽

Urban Landscapes ◽

Open Spaces ◽

Core Areas ◽

Global Evidence

Contemporary processes of urbanization have outpaced the traditional notion of city. Connectivity has become a distinctive characteristic of urban spaces, so that networked cities don’t rely anymore on continuous urbanized areas, but on connections that rarely leave a direct spatial footprint. The new spatial structure of urban areas include greater inter-penetration of built-up and open spaces, and the emergence of urban enclaves, which can be spatially isolated despite being functionally connected to a city. In order to study these enclaves and their impact on urban form, a sample of 47 Spanish functional urban areas was examined, ranging from 36,000 to 6.0 million inhabitants. Land use polygons provided by SIOSE were grouped into three main categories (residential, non-residential and urban infrastructure) and cross-matched with functional urban areas defined by AUDES (an iterative method than combines morphological and functional criteria) in order to calculate compactness proximity index, gross and net density. Factors that influence urban compactness were identified: most northern and some coastal urban areas display a low compactness which can be attributed to orographic conditions; bigger cities tend to display high compactness, but smaller ones display a great diversity of values, from the highest to the lowest. A further analysis of small and intermediate cities helped to identify two complementary mechanisms of urban growth, spatial expansion of core areas and functional integration of peripheral nuclei, whose ocurrence in different proportions can explain the variation of compactness in the studied sample. References Angel, S.; Parent, J.; Civco, D. L. (2012) ‘The fragmentation of urban landscapes: global evidence of a key attribute of the spatial structure of cities, 1990-2000’, Environment and Urbanization, 24 (1), 249-283. Ascher, F. (1995) Métapolis ou l'avenir des villes. (Paris: Éditions Odile Jacob.) Dupuy, G. (1991) L'urbanisme des réseaux, théories et méthodes. (Paris: Armand Colin.) Harvey, D. (1996) ‘Cities or urbanization?’, City 1 (2): 38-61. IGN (2007) SIOSE, Sistema de Información sobre Ocupación del Suelo (http://www.siose.es/), accessed 31 Jan. 2017. Ruiz, F. (2011) AUDES, Áreas Urbanas de España (http://alarcos.esi.uclm.es/per/fruiz/audes/), accessed 31 Jan. 2017.

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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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Structural master plan of flood mitigation measures

Natural Hazards and Earth System Science ◽

10.5194/nhess-9-61-2009 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 61-75 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

A. Heidari

Keyword(s):

Flood Control ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Flood Mitigation ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Master Plan ◽

Construction Costs ◽

Flood Peak ◽

Karun River ◽

Damage Reduction ◽

Mitigation Methods

Abstract. Flood protection is one of the practical methods in damage reduction. Although it not possible to be completely protected from flood disaster but major part of damages can be reduced by mitigation plans. In this paper, the optimum flood mitigation master plan is determined by economic evaluation in trading off between the construction costs and expected value of damage reduction as the benefits. Size of the certain mitigation alternative is also be obtained by risk analysis by accepting possibility of flood overtopping. Different flood mitigation alternatives are investigated from various aspects in the Dez and Karun river floodplain areas as a case study in south west of IRAN. The results show that detention dam and flood diversion are the best alternatives of flood mitigation methods as well as enforcing the flood control purpose of upstream multipurpose reservoirs. Dyke and levees are not mostly justifiable because of negative impact on down stream by enhancing routed flood peak discharge magnitude and flood damages as well.

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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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Methodology for holistic assessment of grey-green flood mitigation measures for climate change adaptation in urban basins

Journal of Hydrology ◽

10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126885 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 603 ◽

pp. 126885

Author(s):

Ioannis M. Kourtis ◽

Vasilis Bellos ◽

George Kopsiaftis ◽

Basil Psiloglou ◽

Vassilios A. Tsihrintzis

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Flood Mitigation ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Holistic Assessment

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GEOPHYSICAL MONITORING: NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO PRESERVE ARCHITECTURAL MONUMENTS AND GREEN DESIGN IN URBAN AREAS

GEOLINKS Conference proceedings, Book 2 Volume 2 ◽

10.32008/geolinks2020/b2/v2/30 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Zakhar Slepak

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Technical Condition ◽

Green Design ◽

World Heritage Site ◽

Mitigation Measures ◽

Operating Life ◽

Geophysical Monitoring ◽

Railway Systems ◽

Geological Processes

A new geophysical prospecting technique developed by the author was effectively applied for these purposes in 1994–2005 within the architectural complex of the Kazan Kremlin, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The author has developed and successfully employed a unique gravity monitoring technique consisting in independent measurements at set points and at certain time intervals in the architectural complex of the Kazan Kremlin. The results of the geophysical monitoring and geodetic surveys conducted in open areas and inside architectural monuments offer new opportunities in preserving ancient buildings. Because geophysical monitoring can identify the negative impact of active geological processes on foundations of buildings, mitigation measures can be taken in timely manner. However, because the Kazan Kremlin is a state historical and architectural museum reserve, another objective is to maintain its exterior and renovate its green design. The above technology can also be used to analyze the technical condition of high-rise buildings, industrial facilities, underground railway systems and other structures, and significantly prolong their operating life.

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Design of a cable-stayed footbridge adaptable to various urban areas

IABSE Congress, New York, New York 2019: The Evolving Metropolis ◽

10.2749/newyork.2019.1662 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Franco Clerici ◽

Silvia Mirabella

Keyword(s):

Public Transportation ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Local Governments ◽

Open Spaces ◽

Limited Space ◽

Reduced Mobility

<p>The present paper relates to the design of a cable-stayed footbridge, composed by ready made elements and with span suitable to various urban and building areas. At present, in order to find a solution to traffic problems, local governments look for many ways to alleviate city’s main roads, increasing public transportation and designing dedicated underground pedestrian routes. Although this subways already built are not really used by pedestrians, which prefer wide-open spaces, such as skyways also designed for people with reduced mobility. In this context the described footbridge, with access ramps designed in accordance with accessibility standards, represents not only a good solution for cycle and pedestrian mobility problems, but it is also easy to transport and to be installed, due to its modular elements. The access ramps are suspended to pilons with inclination depending by the required bridge lengths and they can be assembled in different configurations in order to be well integrated also in limited space areas. Finally a particular focus is dedicated to cables, with dismountable end terminations designed to reduce transportation space and costs</p>

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