scholarly journals Taking the heterogeneity of citizens into account: flood risk communication in coastal cities – a case study of Bremen

2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1931-1940 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Martens ◽  
H. Garrelts ◽  
H. Grunenberg ◽  
H. Lange
Keyword(s):  
Risk Communication ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Media Analysis ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Flood Hazards ◽  
Meso Level ◽  
Flood Risks ◽  
Protective Actions ◽  
Distribution Of Resources

Abstract. The likely manifestations of climate change like flood hazards are prominent topics in public communication. This can be shown by media analysis and questionnaire data. However, in the case of flood risks an information gap remains resulting in misinformed citizens who probably will not perform the necessary protective actions when an emergency occurs. This paper examines more closely a newly developed approach to flood risk communication that takes the heterogeneity of citizens into account and aims to close this gap. The heterogeneity is analysed on the meso level regarding differences in residential situation as well as on the micro level with respect to risk perception and protective actions. Using the city of Bremen as a case study, empirical data from n=831 respondents were used to identify Action Types representing different states of readiness for protective actions in view of flood risks. These subpopulations can be provided with specific information to meet their heterogeneous needs for risk communication. A prototype of a computer-based information system is described that can produce and pass on such tailored information. However, such an approach to risk communication has to be complemented by meso level analysis which takes the social diversity of subpopulations into account. Social vulnerability is the crucial concept for understanding the distribution of resources and capacities among different social groups. We therefore recommend putting forums and organisations into place that can mediate between the state and its citizens.

scholarly journals Assessing tropical cyclone compound flood risk using hydrodynamic modelling: a case study in Haikou City, China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing Liu ◽  
Hanqing Xu ◽  
Jun Wang
Keyword(s):  
Flood Risk ◽  
Flood Hazard ◽  
Copula Function ◽  
Coastal Flooding ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Flood Hazards ◽  
Storm Tide ◽  
Inundation Area ◽  
Joint Occurrence

Abstract. The co-occurrence of storm tide and rainstorm during tropical cyclones (TCs) can lead to compound flooding in low-lying coastal regions. The assessment of TC compound flood risk can provide vital insight for research on coastal flooding prevention. This study investigates TC compound flooding by constructing a storm surge model and overland flooding model using Delft3D Flexible Mesh (DFM), illustrating the serious consequences from the perspective of storm tide. Based on the probability distribution of storm tide, this study regards TC1415 as the 100-year event, TC6311 as the 50-year event, TC8616 as the 25-year event, TC8007 as the 10-year event, and TC7109 as the 5-year event. The results indicate that the coastal area is a major floodplain, primarily due to storm tide, with the inundation severity positively correlated with the height of the storm tide. For 100-year TC event, the inundation area with a depth above 1.0 m increases by approximately 2.5 times when compared with 5-year TC event. The comparison of single-driven flood (storm tide flooding and rainstorm inundation) and compound flood hazards shows that simply accumulating every single-driven flood hazard to define the compound flood hazard may cause underestimation. For future research on compound flooding, copula function can be adopted to investigate the joint occurrence of storm tide and rainstorm to reveal the severity of extreme TC flood hazards.

scholarly journals The Analysis of the Degree of Flood Risk in the Middle Bobr Valley

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-75
Author(s):  
Magda Hudak ◽  
Urszula Kołodziejczyk ◽  
Jakub Kostecki ◽  
Ireneusz Nowogoński ◽  
Marta Żebrowska
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Land Development ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Flood Hazards ◽  
Flood Risks ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Town ◽  
Geographical Characteristics ◽  
Rainfall Level

Abstract This paper presents the impact of rainfall on the degree of flood risk in the basin of the middle Bobr River in western Poland. When the average rainfall level reaches 15 to 20 mm, this apparently calm river may dramatically change its character within just one week. The most important flood risks are flood waves in the headwaters. Because of the mountain character of the river basin, during intensive rainfall there is a huge surface runoff and the water level rises rapidly in the river. This phenomenon was observed in June 2017 in the town of Zagan (Lubuskie Voivodeship). It has been shown that the course and dynamics of hydrological processes occurring in the Bobr River basin depend on its physical and geographical characteristics and the influence of anthropogenic factors. The location is one of the main cause of numerous floods for Zagan, on the other hand changes in land development plays significant meaning in flood hazards. Continuous monitoring of the river is the basis for a comprehensive forecast of flood risks.

scholarly journals A Multi-Data Geospatial Approach for Understanding Flood Risk in the Coastal Plains of Tamil Nadu, India

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasme Allat V ◽  
Leo George Sekar ◽  
Arun Prasad Kumar ◽  
Balasubramani Karuppusamy
Keyword(s):  
Flood Risk ◽  
Tamil Nadu ◽  
Flood Hazard ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Flood Hazards ◽  
Coastal Plains ◽  
Synthetic Aperture Radar Data ◽  
Flood Risks ◽  
Administrative Units

Abstract The coastal plains of Tamil Nadu (India) are highly vulnerable zone for coastal floods, the most common disaster, experienced every year. In the study, the coastal plain is delineated through a watershed approach with 5020 micro-administrative units covering an area of about 3,000 sq.km. A comprehensive flood risk assessment was carried out by preparation of hazards, vulnerability, and exposure layers using multiple data sources including from field surveys, satellite data and secondary data sources. The flood prone regions are delineated initially from Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar data coupled with SRTM-DEM on a probability scale (0–1) and validated with the District Disaster Management Plans of 13 coastal districts. In addition, National Resources Conservation Service – Curve Number (NRCS-CN) method was adopted to estimate surface runoff potential for flood risks. The vulnerability and exposure of the population to the flood hazards was determined using census and household data based indicators. A focused group interview was conducted at 514 locations targeting deprived communities of all major settlements of the study area. The public perceptions were used to understand the flood risks and to validate the hazard and vulnerability layers. To estimate location-specific flood risks within the micro-administrative units, built-up areas with different categories were delineated and intersected with the flood hazard. The amalgamation of results shows that very high flood risk prevails in the northern parts of coastal Tamil Nadu, especially the stretch between Chennai and Cuddalore. In addition to provide a baseline datasets for the first time at micro-administrative units for entire coastal plains of Tamil Nadu, the study offers a pragmatic methodology for sustainable development measures in general and flood risk management in particular.

scholarly journals Neglecting uncertainties biases house-elevation decisions to manage riverine flood risks

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahkameh Zarekarizi ◽  
Vivek Srikrishnan ◽  
Klaus Keller
Keyword(s):  
Earth Science ◽  
Flood Risk Management ◽  
Strong Interactions ◽  
Flood Hazards ◽  
Flood Risks ◽  
The World ◽  
The Face ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
Flood Elevation

Abstract Homeowners around the world elevate houses to manage flood risks. Deciding how high to elevate a house poses a nontrivial decision problem. The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends elevating existing houses to the Base Flood Elevation (the elevation of the 100-year flood) plus a freeboard. This recommendation neglects many uncertainties. Here we analyze a case-study of riverine flood risk management using a multi-objective robust decision-making framework in the face of deep uncertainties. While the quantitative results are location-specific, the approach and overall insights are generalizable. We find strong interactions between the economic, engineering, and Earth science uncertainties, illustrating the need for expanding on previous integrated analyses to further understand the nature and strength of these connections. Considering deep uncertainties surrounding flood hazards, the discount rate, the house lifetime, and the fragility can increase the economically optimal house elevation to values well above FEMA’s recommendation.

scholarly journals Can Citizen Science Promote Flood Risk Communication?

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1961 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wing Cheung ◽  
David Feldman
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Science ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Flood Hazards ◽  
Risk Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Limited Application

This article explores the challenges facing citizen science as a means of joining the efforts of scientists and flood-risk affected stakeholders in motivating citizen involvement in identifying and mitigating flood risks. While citizen science harbors many advantages, including a penchant for collaborative research and the ability to motivate those affected by floods to work with scientists in elucidating and averting risk, it is not without challenges in its implementation. These include ensuring that scientists are willing to share authority with amateur citizen scientists, providing forums that encourage debate, and encouraging equal voice in developing flood risk mitigation strategies. We assess these challenges by noting the limited application of citizen science to flood-relevant problems in existing research and recommend future research in this area to meaningfully incorporate a “re-imagined” citizen science process that is based on the participatory theoretical framework. We also discuss one case study where the principles of collaboration, debate, and equal voice were put into play in an effort to apply citizen science and—in the long term—mitigate flood hazards in one set of communities.

scholarly journals Flood-Resilient Communities: How We Can Encourage Adaptive Behaviour Through Smart Tools in Public–Private Interaction

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 272-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter R. Davids ◽  
Thomas Thaler
Keyword(s):  
Flood Risk ◽  
Risk Behaviour ◽  
Adaptive Behaviour ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Flood Risks ◽  
Resilient Communities ◽  
New Instruments ◽  
Tailored Advice

To achieve a more flood-resilient society, it is essential to involve citizens. Therefore, new instruments, such as tailor-made advice for homeowners, are being developed to inform homeowners about adaptive strategies in building to motivate them to implement these measures. This article evaluates if public–private interactions, such as tailored advice, change risk behaviour and therefore increase flood resilience among homeowners. The article conducted semi-structured interviews with homeowners who had received advice as well as involved experts in two case study regions in Europe: Flanders in Belgium and Vorarlberg in Austria. The results show how the tailored advice helps homeowners who are already aware of flood risks and provides them with answers on how to adapt a house. However, the tool seems to lack the ability to inform and “recruit” new groups of homeowners who are not as familiar with flood risks. As such, this article concludes that this initiative has a relatively low impact in raising flood risk awareness among homeowners but may be more successful in serving as a tool that suggests tailored property-level flood risk adaptation measures for those who are already aware. Alternatively, more automated tailored information systems might be more efficient for unaware homeowners.

Extreme floods value distributions under recent global warming in Northern Italy, and new risk management policies. The project FLORIMAP

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mattia Galizzi ◽  
Renzo Rosso ◽  
Daniele Bocchiola
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Risk Communication ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Flood Hazard ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Flood Risk Management ◽  
Recent Climate ◽  
Management Policies

<p>Flood risk in Italy is a wide-spread and never-ending issue. Traditional flood defense focused on making the river system “resistant” to flood events, possibly by flood-control structures including floodwalls, levees, dams and channels. These actions reduce the frequency of inundations, but they do not affect flooding effects, and associated impacts once the flood plain is inundated. In facts, structural flood defenses are designed and operated to accommodate floods not exceeding a given magnitude, as fixed by the original design. Thus, these engineering works are highly inefficient to cope with capacity-exceeding floods, the magnitude of which was fixed many years ago using poor data sets, and it is expected to increase with climate changes.</p><p>FLORIMAP (Smart FLOod RIsk MAnagement Policies), a project funded by Fondazione CARIPLO aims to revalue extreme floods distribution in the different homogeneous areas of northern Italy using regional approaches based upon recent data form the last three decades.</p><p>FLORIMAP will first cover open issues associated with the quantification of flood hazard and inundation risk, then it will assess human exposure and vulnerability, and combine these issues with strategies of communication and risk management, because risk communication is an important activity that can influence the flood risk management. Communication is the bridge between the technical and professional community, decision makers, elected officials, funding sources, and the public at large. The literature on risk communication and perception has highlighted that the understanding of the psychological perception of environmental risk is a crucial factor in order to foster the community resilience and to promote adaptive attitudes and behaviors.</p><p>Here, we present a preliminary assessment of updated extreme values distribution for the case study of Northern Italy hydrologically homogeneous regions. The results will be then compared against those obtained with previous dataset dating until 1970, to study the evolution of flood hazard and inundation risk under recent climate change. We then provide application of flood hazard, and risk for a case study area, and demonstrate modified hazard under recent climate change.</p><p>We then discuss implications for risk communication in the target areas, and provide suggestions for prosecution of the FLORIMAP project. </p>

scholarly journals Towards two-way flood risk communication: current practice in a community in the UK

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 651-664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neoh Siew Ping ◽  
Uta Wehn ◽  
Chris Zevenbergen ◽  
Pieter van der Zaag
Keyword(s):  
Risk Communication ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Current Practice ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Community Resilience ◽  
Flood Risk Management ◽  
Flood Risks ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
The Uk

Despite the considerable progress in engineering works, flooding continues and is now recognized as a major and increasing challenge. This realisation has resulted in a shift in flood risk management from leaning heavily on structural measures to the incorporation of non-structural initiatives, such as communication about flood risks that is considerate of the diversity existing within communities and that encompasses the entire disaster cycle. Communities that are more aware of flood risks and possess the knowledge to prepare for disasters appear to be better able to respond, mitigate and recover from their detrimental impacts. This paper examines the current practice of flood risk communication strategies of a local community in Doncaster, UK. The research findings are analysed with a view to identifying factors that positively and negatively influence the flood risk communication strategies and community resilience. Based on these insights, we provide recommendations for further improving the communication about flood risks, and ways in which it could be better targeted and used throughout the disaster cycle to help strengthen community resilience.

Multi-Criteria Decision Making for Vulnerability Mapping of Flood Hazard: A Case Study of Pune City

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-52
Author(s):  
Nitin Mundhe
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Flood Hazard ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Multi Criteria Decision Making ◽  
Flood Hazards ◽  
Very High Frequency ◽  
Flood Vulnerability ◽  
Natural Risk ◽  
The Town

Floods are natural risk with a very high frequency, which causes to environmental, social, economic and human losses. The floods in the town happen mainly due to human made activities about the blockage of natural drainage, haphazard construction of roads, building, and high rainfall intensity. Detailed maps showing flood vulnerability areas are helpful in management of flood hazards. Therefore, present research focused on identifying flood vulnerability zones in the Pune City using multi-criteria decision-making approach in Geographical Information System (GIS) and inputs from remotely sensed imageries. Other input data considered for preparing base maps are census details, City maps, and fieldworks. The Pune City classified in to four flood vulnerability classes essential for flood risk management. About 5 per cent area shows high vulnerability for floods in localities namely Wakdewadi, some part of the Shivajinagar, Sangamwadi, Aundh, and Baner with high risk.

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