Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.5
3.4
Journals
Water
Special Issues
Flood Risk Management and Resilience
share announcement

Flood Risk Management and Resilience

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Hydrology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2022) | Viewed by 68097

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. David Proverbs

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Associate Dean—International, Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK
Interests: flood risk management; resilience; adaptation; recovery; response
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Bingunath Ingirige

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Urban Resilience and Adaptation, Centre for Disaster Resilience, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Manchester M5 4WT, UK
Interests: community resilience; adapting SMEs acommunity resilience; adapting SMEs against flooding; preparedness measures to improve urban resilience and adaptation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, flood risk management approaches have shifted towards the improved management of flood risk using integrated approaches that embody resilience and more sustainable solutions. This acknowledges that some flooding will inevitably occur and adopts approaches that help to reduce its impacts, while improving resilience and speeding up recovery processes. This is embraced in terms such as ‘build back better’ and ‘bounce-backability’.

While structural measures such as flood defences, dams and levees have been put in place to provide protection against flooding, a number of innovative approaches have also been developed towards reducing the impacts of flooding, including natural flood risk management, sustainable drainage systems and property flood resilience. This is a multi-disciplinary domain with, for example, psychological resilience focusing on an understanding of human behaviour, while engineering resilience focuses on technical resilience.

Another issue in improving flood resilience relates to the existence of many stakeholders with a wide-ranging interest in preparedness, emergency response, recovery and reconstruction. These stakeholders range from those who are directly affected by flood events, as well as those that are capable of influencing decisions on the nature and types of integrated approaches that embody resilience. Therefore, from a governance and policymaking perspective, it is important to ensure that there is equity and justice in balancing stakeholder interests across a specific landscape.

The aim of this Special Issue is to draw together the latest multi- and interdisciplinary research in the domain of resilience to flood risk, drawing on a wide range of expertise and applications (as captured in the keywords below) to provide a state-of-the-art collection of research connected to improving our understanding and approaches to becoming a more flood-resilient society. This Special Issue is designed deliberately to be multi-disciplinary and diverse in scope—we welcome contributions from all disciplines that can meaningfully inform the future agenda.

Prof. Dr. David Proverbs
Prof. Dr. Bingunath Ingirige
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • buildings and the built environment
  • catchment scale approaches
  • community based approaches
  • digital applications and solutions
  • diversity and inclusivity
  • health and welfare
  • insurance and finance
  • integrated solutions
  • mitigation and adaptation
  • natural flood risk management
  • partnership approaches for improving resilience
  • planning, preparation, response and recovery
  • policy and strategy
  • property flood resilience
  • resilient infrastructure
  • risk sensitive urban development
  • smart resilient cities
  • social capital
  • stakeholder engagement for resilience

Published Papers (18 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

17 pages, 3547 KiB  
Article
Learning from Floods—How a Community Develops Future Resilience
by Widi Auliagisni, Suzanne Wilkinson and Mohamed Elkharboutly
Water 2022, 14(20), 3238; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14203238 - 14 Oct 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 7942
Abstract
Settlements close to rivers, the sea, and hills are among those most vulnerable to floods. The hilly terrain region experiences higher rainfall than the lowlands due to the orographic effect. As a result, excessive rains feeding major rivers cause a rapid rise in [...] Read more.
Settlements close to rivers, the sea, and hills are among those most vulnerable to floods. The hilly terrain region experiences higher rainfall than the lowlands due to the orographic effect. As a result, excessive rains feeding major rivers cause a rapid rise in water level resulting in frequent breaks of the riverbanks. The flood hence covers the inhabited lowlands with water and silt, causing loss of lives and properties. The affected communities need practical coping alternatives to deal with the intensity and the increasing exposure to floods. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG6) identify the sustainable management of water and sanitation as one of their key objectives. This study identifies resilience in practice focusing on how communities create resilience and develop sustainable river catchment management. A qualitative method was used, involving observations, interviews, and community surveys with one of the most flood-prone populations, the New Zealand Northland community. A desktop study containing government publications and flood records compliments the thematic analysis result and strengthens the discussions. Social connections, participation in self-protection training, and maintaining the catchment were among the main findings of the study. This study recommends for community-led response plans integrated with infrastructure improvements and collaboration with councils to reduce the risk of future floods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk Management and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 1499 KiB  
Article
Factors Affecting Farmers’ Adoption of Flood Adaptation Strategies Using Structural Equation Modeling
by Md Omar Faruk and Keshav Lall Maharjan
Water 2022, 14(19), 3080; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14193080 - 30 Sep 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3449
Abstract
Floods are a frequent disaster in Bangladesh, and farmers are the most at risk. Understanding how to improve the farmers’ flood adaption is important to reduce flood effects. Protection motivation theory (PMT) has been widely used to examine flood adaptation behavior, but there [...] Read more.
Floods are a frequent disaster in Bangladesh, and farmers are the most at risk. Understanding how to improve the farmers’ flood adaption is important to reduce flood effects. Protection motivation theory (PMT) has been widely used to examine flood adaptation behavior, but there is still debate regarding the quantitative effect of PMT factors on flood adaption behavior, particularly in a geographically vulnerable context. This study integrates psychological aspects based on PMT to assess farmers’ flood adaptability. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect data from 359 farmers. We employed structural equation modeling to test a PMT model with mediation analysis. The results showed that farmers who perceive a higher flood risk and feel more fear of floods are more likely to implement flood adaptation measures. Similarly, farmers adopt more adaptive actions if they have higher self-efficacy and response efficacy. However, they are less likely to take adaptive actions if they are subject to maladaptation. Maladaptation plays a significant role as a mediating variable. These findings will act as recommendations for government agencies to design policy measures to strengthen flood risk management. The study supports the theory of protection motivation to understand farmers’ flood adaptation behavior. However, further study is required to enhance and generalize the existing model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk Management and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

28 pages, 14520 KiB  
Article
Innovative Vulnerability and Risk Assessment of Urban Areas against Flood Events: Prognosis of Structural Damage with a New Approach Considering Flow Velocity
by Holger Maiwald, Jochen Schwarz, Christian Kaufmann, Tobias Langhammer, Sebastian Golz and Theresa Wehner
Water 2022, 14(18), 2793; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14182793 - 08 Sep 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2069
Abstract
The floods in 2002 and 2013, as well as the recent flood of 2021, caused billions Euros worth of property damage in Germany. The aim of the project Innovative Vulnerability and Risk Assessment of Urban Areas against Flood Events (INNOVARU) involved the development [...] Read more.
The floods in 2002 and 2013, as well as the recent flood of 2021, caused billions Euros worth of property damage in Germany. The aim of the project Innovative Vulnerability and Risk Assessment of Urban Areas against Flood Events (INNOVARU) involved the development of a practicable flood damage model that enables realistic damage statements for the residential building stock. In addition to the determination of local flood risks, it also takes into account the vulnerability of individual buildings and allows for the prognosis of structural damage. In this paper, we discuss an improved method for the prognosis of structural damage due to flood impact. Detailed correlations between inundation level and flow velocities depending on the vulnerability of the building types, as well as the number of storeys, are considered. Because reliable damage data from events with high flow velocities were not available, an innovative approach was adopted to cover a wide range of flow velocities. The proposed approach combines comprehensive damage data collected after the 2002 flood in Germany with damage data of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake tsunami in Japan. The application of the developed methods enables a reliable reinterpretation of the structural damage caused by the August flood of 2002 in six study areas in the Free State of Saxony. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk Management and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 3797 KiB  
Article
Climatic and Hydrological Factors Affecting the Assessment of Flood Hazards and Resilience Using Modified UNDRR Indicators: Ayutthaya, Thailand
by Phichet Munpa, Suthirat Kittipongvises, Athit Phetrak, Wandee Sirichokchatchawan, Nutta Taneepanichskul, Jenyuk Lohwacharin and Chongrak Polprasert
Water 2022, 14(10), 1603; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14101603 - 17 May 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3348
Abstract
This research aims to investigate the effect of climatic and hydrological factors on flood hazards and assess flood resilience in Ayutthaya, Thailand, using the 10 essentials for making cities resilient modified by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). Flood resilience [...] Read more.
This research aims to investigate the effect of climatic and hydrological factors on flood hazards and assess flood resilience in Ayutthaya, Thailand, using the 10 essentials for making cities resilient modified by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). Flood resilience assessment was performed based on a multi-criteria decision-making approach or the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) of pairwise comparison. The results indicate that runoff is considered the most influential factor in flood hazards, followed by land use, rainfall, and historical flood events, sequentially. Regarding the flood incident management concept, a questionnaire survey (n = 552) was conducted to understand the impacts of flood on local communities. The findings reveal that 50% of respondents had never received any flood information or participated in training sessions on flood preparedness. Most reported their concerns about the inadequate supply of drinking water during a flood. Spearman’s correlation coefficient shows positive correlations between flood disaster relief payments, preparedness training, access to flood hazard mapping, emergency health services, and their flood preparation actions. According to the modified UNDRR indicators, the top three highest AHP values in building community resilience to flood hazards in Ayutthaya are flood risk scenario identification, the effectiveness of emergency flood disaster response, integrated urban planning, and disaster risk reduction. The policy implications of this research include the need for national authorities to better understand the role cities can play a vital role in supporting both national and international climate resilience frameworks, especially Thailand’s National Disaster Management Plan, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR), and the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk Management and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 1744 KiB  
Article
Comparing Expert and Local Community Perspectives on Flood Management in the Lower Mono River Catchment, Togo and Benin
by Essi Nadège Parkoo, Sophie Thiam, Kossi Adjonou, Kouami Kokou, Sarah Verleysdonk, Julien G. Adounkpe and Grace B. Villamor
Water 2022, 14(10), 1536; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14101536 - 11 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2042
Abstract
Recurrent floods have become a major problem in the transboundary Lower Mono River catchment of Togo and Benin, causing more damage and loss of life than any other disaster in the area. The level of understanding about floods and their management can be [...] Read more.
Recurrent floods have become a major problem in the transboundary Lower Mono River catchment of Togo and Benin, causing more damage and loss of life than any other disaster in the area. The level of understanding about floods and their management can be as diverse as the groups within the communities and thus can present a variety of perspectives. People tend to perceive flood risk and management differently due to their proximity to flood-prone areas and their level of vulnerability as well as their capacity to adapt. Therefore, this study explores the specific perspectives of local communities and experts on floods in the transboundary Mono catchment, which can help to inform better adaptation strategies according to the contexts of each community. We conducted series of focus groups discussions (FGDs) using the Actors, Resources, Dynamics, and Interactions (ARDI) framework to develop mental models of flood management. This approach allowed us to identify the causes and impact of flooding in the area, and to describe the actors and effects of flood events on the main natural resources as well as the dynamics and interactions that drive change and influence flood management in the study area. The results indicate that the perceptions of local communities and experts show both similarities and differences. These differences include (1) perceptions of relevant direct actors, (2) perceptions of resources at stake, and (3) actor-specific resource utilization. Considering these dissimilar views between expert and local community knowledge systems appears to be an important contributing factor to improving flood mitigation efforts in the catchment. Adapting risk communication and measures taken for flood management in accordance with the perceptions of affected communities could greatly increase success, with positive long-term effects for the involved institutions and communities regarding mutual trust-building. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk Management and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 5622 KiB  
Article
Estimating Changes in Peak Flow and Associated Reductions in Flooding Resulting from Implementing Natural Infrastructure in the Neuse River Basin, North Carolina, USA
by J. Jack Kurki-Fox, Barbara A. Doll, Daniel E. Line, Madalyn E. Baldwin, Travis M. Klondike and Andrew A. Fox
Water 2022, 14(9), 1479; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14091479 - 05 May 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1953
Abstract
As the frequency of more intense storms increases and concerns grow regarding the use of dams and levees, the focus has shifted to natural infrastructure (NI) for flood mitigation. NI has shown some success at small scales; however, little work has been carried [...] Read more.
As the frequency of more intense storms increases and concerns grow regarding the use of dams and levees, the focus has shifted to natural infrastructure (NI) for flood mitigation. NI has shown some success at small scales; however, little work has been carried out at the large watershed scale during extreme events. Three NI measures (afforestation, water farming, and flood control wetlands) were evaluated in the Neuse River Basin of eastern North Carolina. Detailed geospatial opportunity and hydrologic modeling of the measures were conducted in three subwatersheds of the basin and results were extrapolated to other subwatersheds. NI opportunity was greater and associated modeled peak flow reductions were larger for two subwatersheds located in the lower portion of the basin, where there is less development and flatter land slopes. Peak flow reductions varied spatially depending on the type and placement of NI combined with the hydraulic and morphologic characteristics of the stream network. Extrapolation of reductions to other subwatersheds produced a 4.4% reduction in peak flow for the 100 year storm at the outlet of the river basin in Kinston as a result of water farming on 1.1%, wetlands controlling runoff from 5.7%, and afforestation of 8.4% of the river basin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk Management and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 6102 KiB  
Article
Flood Hazard Mapping and Flood Preparedness Literacy of the Elderly Population Residing in Bangkok, Thailand
by Chandhit Sawangnate, Benjawan Chaisri and Suthirat Kittipongvises
Water 2022, 14(8), 1268; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14081268 - 13 Apr 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3964
Abstract
This research aimed at assessing flood hazard areas and flood literacy of the elderly population in Bangkok, Thailand and analyzing their flood preparedness through SWOT analysis. Expert interviews and a community survey were conducted. Using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and GIS technique, [...] Read more.
This research aimed at assessing flood hazard areas and flood literacy of the elderly population in Bangkok, Thailand and analyzing their flood preparedness through SWOT analysis. Expert interviews and a community survey were conducted. Using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and GIS technique, the results indicated that land-use, drainage density, and annual maximum rainfall were the most heavily weighted factors in flood hazard mapping in Bangkok. About half (50.32%) of Bangkok’s total area was defined as high flood hazard area. A total of 736 questionnaires were distributed in flood-prone areas and in the areas with the highest percentage of elderly population. The results of both SWOT and survey analysis found that many senior citizens have low digital and media literacy and limited experience in using information technology for flood preparedness. Lack of integration of disaster risk reduction and aging population policy, ineffective warning system, and lack of access to disaster preparedness training were the key barriers in reducing vulnerability to flood hazard. The survey revealed that the majority of elderly respondents (75%) have neither used online applications for their flood hazard management both before and during flood disaster nor shared/communicated information via online platforms. Some respondents (13%) used Facebook and Line applications to obtain information before a flood event. Very few of the elderly respondents (<2%) accessed the national/provincial web-based platform to find out flood-related information. Almost all respondents, especially who are living in high-risk flood zones, had never participated in the community training of flood preparedness and management. Therefore, effective strategies in enhancing social engagement of the elderly and their literacy skills in flood risk preparedness and management are urgently needed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk Management and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 2624 KiB  
Article
Flood Risk Perception and Its Attributes among Rural Households under Developing Country Conditions: The Case of Pakistan
by Ashfaq Ahmad Shah, Chen Ajiang, Nasir Abbas Khan, Bader Alhafi Alotaibi and Muhammad Atiq Ur Rehman Tariq
Water 2022, 14(6), 992; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14060992 - 21 Mar 2022
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4693
Abstract
Managing and communicating flood risks necessitates a strong understanding of how people perceive risk. It has become critical to examine risk perception to implement effective disaster risk management (DRM) measures. Socioeconomic determinants have an impact on risk perception, which in turn affects future [...] Read more.
Managing and communicating flood risks necessitates a strong understanding of how people perceive risk. It has become critical to examine risk perception to implement effective disaster risk management (DRM) measures. Socioeconomic determinants have an impact on risk perception, which in turn affects future adaptive capacity and disaster preparedness. First and foremost, this research attempts to determine how Pakistani people in rural areas perceive flood risk, and second, to examine the factors that can influence rural residents’ perceptions of flood risk. The data for this study were collected through face-to-face interviews with 600 respondents (household heads) from Charsadda and Nowshera districts that were severely affected by the 2010 flood. A flood risk perception index was developed (using a risk matrix) using relevant attributes on a Likert scale and classified into two categories: high and low perceived risk. Furthermore, a binary regression model was used to examine the influence of socioeconomic and institutional factors on rural households’ risk perception. Flood risk was perceived by 67 percent of the total sampled participants in the study regions. The results of binary logistic regression demonstrate that flood risk perception is strongly linked to socioeconomic variables such as age, education, house ownership, family size, past flood experience, and distance from the nearest river source, as well as institutional factors such as access to credit and extreme weather forecast information. The findings of the current study additionally revealed that flood risk perception varied among household heads based on education (1–10 years perceived high flood risk (51.47%)), age (age greater than 40 years perceived high flood risk (52.83%)), and monthly income levels (lower monthly income group perceived high flood risk (73.02%)). The findings of this study shed light on rural households’ perception of flood risk and the factors that shape such perceptions. These findings can assist provincial and local disaster management authorities in better understanding flood risk and adopting local actions that could be used to respond to flood and other climate-related disasters. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk Management and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 3021 KiB  
Article
Perceptions of Social Responsibility for Community Resilience to Flooding: A Comparison between Communities in Indonesia and the UK
by Robby Soetanto, Ferry Hermawan, Nafsika Drosou, Lee Bosher and Jati Utomo Dwi Hatmoko
Water 2022, 14(3), 433; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14030433 - 31 Jan 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3327
Abstract
Over the last few decades, flood hazards have had a greater impact on society, meaning that communities increasingly need to work together to enhance their resilience. Literature suggests that preparedness to flooding events is generally low as most individuals do not take protective [...] Read more.
Over the last few decades, flood hazards have had a greater impact on society, meaning that communities increasingly need to work together to enhance their resilience. Literature suggests that preparedness to flooding events is generally low as most individuals do not take protective actions. Therefore, there is a need to stimulate individuals’ actions that increase their own and their communities’ resilience to flooding. Various factors must be addressed to encourage individuals to take action, such as providing information to improve risk perception, understanding cognitive processes that interpret environmental stimuli against the mental model, and considering social and cultural influences. This paper argues that Social Responsibility (SR), defined as an individual willingness to take up actions that benefit society, is part of a pre-existing mental model that can explain intentions to take preparedness actions that improve community resilience. Due to differing socio-cultural contexts, the SR perceptions of communities in different parts of the world may differ. In order to investigate this phenomenon, data of SR perceptions obtained from 180 completed questionnaires were collected from flooded and non-flooded communities in Semarang, Indonesia, and then compared against those obtained from 313 questionnaires based on a survey of communities in Birmingham and London in the UK. The results suggest that Indonesian communities demonstrate a higher level of SR scores than UK communities. A comparison of SR scores between flooded and non-flooded communities in the UK shows a higher level of SR in flooded communities. In contrast, the comparison between corresponding Indonesian communities indicates an almost similar level of SR. A comparison of SR scores between Indonesian and UK flooded communities shows a higher level of SR in Indonesian communities across several measures. Further comparison of SR scores between Indonesia and UK non-flooded communities demonstrates higher SR in Indonesian communities in all but one measure. This suggests that experience of flooding has a much stronger influence on raising SR perceptions in UK communities. Socio-cultural background may explain these differences in SR perceptions, particularly, in relation to collectivism orientation and the close-knit nature of Indonesian communities. Although higher SR perceptions do not necessarily mean higher levels of preparedness actions, this finding illuminates the important influence of socio-cultural context on community resilience enhancing efforts that rely on collective actions by individuals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk Management and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 3803 KiB  
Article
Anticipated Memories and Adaptation from Past Flood Events in Gregório Creek Basin, Brazil
by Hailton César Pimentel Fialho, Fernando Girardi Abreu, Bruno José de Oliveira Sousa, Felipe Augusto Arguello Souza, Namrata Bhattacharya-Mis, Eduardo Mario Mendiondo and Paulo Tarso Sanches de Oliveira
Water 2021, 13(23), 3394; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w13233394 - 01 Dec 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1886
Abstract
In this research we used walking interviews to investigate the measures used by shopkeepers as protection against floods. The concept of anticipated memory has been used to identify the relationship between their learning from previous events and the adaptive measures they have taken [...] Read more.
In this research we used walking interviews to investigate the measures used by shopkeepers as protection against floods. The concept of anticipated memory has been used to identify the relationship between their learning from previous events and the adaptive measures they have taken to reduce risk of future flooding in Gregório Creek basin. The area is affected by major flooding issues in the city of São Carlos, southeastern Brazil. Twenty-three (23) downtown merchants shared their experience of the extreme rainfall that occurred on 12 January 2020, characterized by a return period of 103 years. Comparing our findings with November 2015 and March 2018 floods (Interviews 37 and 52 respectively), we noted that due to the enhanced level of threat, people had changed their adaptation strategy by increasing the sum of floodgate height more than 4-fold (870 cm to 3830 cm) between 2015 to 2020. Our results showed that despite frequent flooding, the shopkeepers downtown were reluctant to move away from the area; rather, they preferred to improve their individual protection. The substantial increase in the height of the floodgates represents the population’s feedback in the face of a new level of threat. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk Management and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 261 KiB  
Article
Social Influences on Flood Preparedness and Mitigation Measures Adopted by People Living with Flood Risk
by Donald Houston, Tom Ball, Alan Werritty and Andrew R. Black
Water 2021, 13(21), 2972; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w13212972 - 21 Oct 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2902
Abstract
This paper aims to analyse evidence, based on one of the largest and most representative samples of households previously flooded or living with flood risk to date, of social patterns in a range of flood resilience traits relating to preparedness prior to a [...] Read more.
This paper aims to analyse evidence, based on one of the largest and most representative samples of households previously flooded or living with flood risk to date, of social patterns in a range of flood resilience traits relating to preparedness prior to a flood (e.g., property adaptations, contents insurance, etc.) and mitigations enacted during and immediately following a flood (e.g., receiving a warning, evacuation into temporary accommodation, etc.). The data were collected from a 2006 survey of 1223 households from a variety of locations across Scotland between one and twelve years after major local floods. Our analysis identifies remarkably few social differences in flood preparedness and mitigation measures, although some aspects of demography, housing and length of residence in an area, as well as personal flood history, are important. In light of this finding, we argue that social differences in vulnerability and resilience to flooding arise from deep-seated socio-economic and socio-spatial inequalities that affect exposure to flood risk and ability to recover from flood impacts. The engrained, but well-meaning, assumption in flood risk management that impoverished households and communities are lacking or deficient in flood preparedness or mitigation knowledge and capabilities is somewhat pejorative and misses fundamental, yet sometimes invisible, social stratifications play out in subtle but powerful ways to affect households’ and communities’ ability to avoid and recover from floods. We argue that general poverty and inequality alleviation measures, such as tax and welfare policy and urban and community regeneration schemes, are likely to be as, if not more, important in alleviating social inequalities in the long-term impacts of floods than social targeting of flood risk management policy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk Management and Resilience)
25 pages, 1591 KiB  
Article
Robust Yellow River Delta Flood Management under Uncertainty
by Liang Chen and Benjamin F. Hobbs
Water 2021, 13(16), 2226; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w13162226 - 16 Aug 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2033
Abstract
A number of principles for evaluating water resources decisions under deep long-run uncertainty have been proposed in the literature. In this paper, we evaluate the usefulness of three widely recommended principles in the context of delta water and sedimentation management: scenario-based uncertainty definition, [...] Read more.
A number of principles for evaluating water resources decisions under deep long-run uncertainty have been proposed in the literature. In this paper, we evaluate the usefulness of three widely recommended principles in the context of delta water and sedimentation management: scenario-based uncertainty definition, robustness rather than optimality as a performance measure, and modeling of adaptability, which is the flexibility to change system design or operations as conditions change in the future. This evaluation takes place in the context of an important real-world problem: flood control in the Yellow River Delta. The results give insight both on the physical function of the river system and on the effect of various approaches to modeling risk attitudes and adaptation on the long-term performance of the system. We find that the optimal decisions found under different scenarios differ significantly, while those resulting from using minimal expected cost and minmax regret metrics are similar. The results also show that adaptive multi-stage optimization has a lower expected cost than a static approach in which decisions over the entire time horizon are specified; more surprisingly, recognizing the ability to adapt means that larger, rather than smaller, first-stage investments become optimal. When faced with deep uncertainty in water resources planning, this case study demonstrates that considering scenarios, robustness, and adaptability can significantly improve decisions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk Management and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 1054 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Humanitarian Supply Chain Resilience in Flood Disaster
by Wenping Xu, Shu Xiong, David Proverbs and Zhi Zhong
Water 2021, 13(16), 2158; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w13162158 - 06 Aug 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3888
Abstract
Frequent natural hazards such as flooding and the devastating consequences of severe events make the humanitarian supply chain particularly important in alleviating the suffering of those communities impacted by such events. However, the ambiguity of information and the different goals of stakeholders demand [...] Read more.
Frequent natural hazards such as flooding and the devastating consequences of severe events make the humanitarian supply chain particularly important in alleviating the suffering of those communities impacted by such events. However, the ambiguity of information and the different goals of stakeholders demand that the humanitarian supply chain must be resilient. This research adopts the use of literature review and expert opinions to identify the indicators that affect the resilience of the humanitarian supply chain using the flood event in Hechuan District, China in 2020 as an example. Based on the combination of fuzzy Decision-making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory and Analytic Network Process (fuzzy-DEMATEL-ANP), the interrelationships between the indicators and the weights of each indicator are calculated. The research results indicate that decision-makers in the humanitarian supply chain should vigorously coordinate the cooperation among stakeholders, ensure the effective transmission of information, and formulate forward-looking strategic plans. At the same time, these key decision makers should also be aware of the need to adjust their strategies at different stages of the flooding event in order to achieve a flexible humanitarian supply chain that responds to the varying demands over the course of a flooding event. The results of this study will help professionals involved in humanitarian supply chains to develop strategies and plans to become more resilient thus helping to reduce losses from natural hazards such as floods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk Management and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 11066 KiB  
Article
An Evaluation of Urban Resilience to Flooding
by Wenping Xu, Jinting Cong, David Proverbs and Linlan Zhang
Water 2021, 13(15), 2022; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w13152022 - 24 Jul 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3884
Abstract
Flooding has become the natural disaster that causes the greatest losses, with urban flooding restricting the healthy development of cities. The ability to assess a city’s resilience to flooding is very important and would contribute to improving resilience and also help to inform [...] Read more.
Flooding has become the natural disaster that causes the greatest losses, with urban flooding restricting the healthy development of cities. The ability to assess a city’s resilience to flooding is very important and would contribute to improving resilience and also help to inform planning and development. The aim of this study was to determine the key urban flood resilience indicators for three different Chinese cities (Wuhan, Nanjing, and Hefei) and to prioritize these for each city. A combined interpretive structure and network analysis method (ISM-ANP) model was used to evaluate and analyze the selected evaluation indicators. A four-level urban flood resilience evaluation network model was constructed to determine the interdependence between indicators and to calculate the priorities of the flood resilience indicators for the three cities. Overall, rescue capacity was found to be extremely important and was defined as the most important index. For Wuhan, indicators related to the distribution of waters were found to be more important, while for Nanjing, spatial planning and spatial structure of land use were found to be key priorities. In Hefei, the level of investment in infrastructure and the level of public resources occupy a more important position. The framework presented in this study contributes to the understanding of urban flood resilience and has the potential to be extended to other natural hazards. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk Management and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 8542 KiB  
Article
Physical Flood Vulnerability Assessment using Geospatial Indicator-Based Approach and Participatory Analytical Hierarchy Process: A Case Study in Kota Bharu, Malaysia
by Ismaila Usman Kaoje, Muhammad Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman, Nurul Hazrina Idris, Khamarrul Azahari Razak, Wan Nurul Mardiah Wan Mohd Rani, Tze Huey Tam and Mohd Radhie Mohd Salleh
Water 2021, 13(13), 1786; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w13131786 - 28 Jun 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4900
Abstract
The most devastating flood event in Kota Bharu was recorded in December 2014, which affected several properties worth millions of dollars and thousands of homes. Damage to physical properties, especially buildings, is identified as a significant contributor to flood disasters in Malaysia. Therefore, [...] Read more.
The most devastating flood event in Kota Bharu was recorded in December 2014, which affected several properties worth millions of dollars and thousands of homes. Damage to physical properties, especially buildings, is identified as a significant contributor to flood disasters in Malaysia. Therefore, it is essential to address physical flood vulnerability by developing an integrated approach for modeling buildings’ flood vulnerability to decrease the flood consequences. This study aims at developing a flood vulnerability assessment approach using an indicator-based model (IBM) for individual buildings in Kota Bahru, Kelantan, Malaysia. An intensive literature review and expert opinions were used to determine suitable indicators that contribute to the physical flood vulnerability of buildings. The indicators were grouped into three components, i.e., flood hazard intensity (I), building characteristics (C), and effect of the surrounding environment (E). The indicators were further refined based on expert opinions and Relative Importance Index (RII) analysis. Based on their contribution to the Malaysia local building flood vulnerability, priority weight is assigned by the experts to each of the selected indicators using the participatory Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). A spatial database of buildings in Kota Bharu is developed through field surveys and manually digitizing building footprints from satellite imageries. The identified indicators and their weight are added to each building footprint. The Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) aggregation method combined the weight of indicators into a vulnerability index and maps. The results of a physical flood vulnerability were validated using building damage information obtained through interviews with the community that experienced previous flood in the study area. The result showed that about 98% of the study area’s buildings have either moderate or low vulnerability to flooding. The flood vulnerability map has an overall accuracy of 75.12% and 0.63 kappa statistics. In conclusion, the IBM approach has been used successfully to develop a physical flood vulnerability for buildings in Kota Bharu. The model contributes to support different structural and non-structural approaches in the flood mitigations process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk Management and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 9591 KiB  
Article
Advantages of the Open Levee (Kasumi-Tei), a Traditional Japanese River Technology on the Matsuura River, from an Ecosystem-Based Disaster Risk Reduction Perspective
by Jun Teramura and Yukihiro Shimatani
Water 2021, 13(4), 480; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w13040480 - 12 Feb 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3660
Abstract
Large-scale disasters, such as hurricanes, cyclones, tsunamis, and forest fires, have caused considerable damage in recent years. This study investigated two case studies of discontinuous open levees (kasumi-tei), which are a traditional Japanese river technology, on the Matsuura River at the sites of [...] Read more.
Large-scale disasters, such as hurricanes, cyclones, tsunamis, and forest fires, have caused considerable damage in recent years. This study investigated two case studies of discontinuous open levees (kasumi-tei), which are a traditional Japanese river technology, on the Matsuura River at the sites of Okawano and Azame-no-se, and evaluated the advantages of these levees from the perspective of ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR). These case studies were conducted through literature surveys, flood observations, and oral interviews. The systems in both the cases were flood control systems utilizing ecosystem services. The traditional river technology (the flood plain open levee) served as an effective Eco-DRR in both cases. Additionally, the flood plain levee technology enhanced the ecosystem services at both sites, including not only flood control capabilities, but also other ecosystem services. Furthermore, the open levees offered substantial cost advantages over their alternatives. These results suggest that other traditional Japanese river technologies may also be effective in strengthening Eco-DRR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk Management and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 4717 KiB  
Article
Assessing Community Resilience to Urban Flooding in Multiple Types of the Transient Population in China
by Wenping Xu, Lingli Xiang and David Proverbs
Water 2020, 12(10), 2784; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w12102784 - 06 Oct 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3365
Abstract
While various measures of mitigation and adaptation to climate change have been taken in recent years, many have gradually reached a consensus that building community resilience is of great significance when responding to climate change, especially urban flooding. There has been a dearth [...] Read more.
While various measures of mitigation and adaptation to climate change have been taken in recent years, many have gradually reached a consensus that building community resilience is of great significance when responding to climate change, especially urban flooding. There has been a dearth of research on community resilience to urban floods, especially among transient communities, and therefore there is a need to conduct further empirical studies to improve our understanding, and to identify appropriate interventions. Thus, this work combines two existing resilience assessment frameworks to address these issues in three different types of transient community, namely an urban village, commercial housing, and apartments, all located in Wuhan, China. An analytic hierarchy process–back propagation neural network (AHP-BP) model was developed to estimate the community resilience within these three transient communities. The effects of changes in the prioritization of key resilience indicators under different environmental, economic, and social factors was analyzed across the three communities. The results demonstrate that the ranking of the indicators reflects the connection between disaster resilience and the evaluation units of diverse transient communities. These aspects show the differences in the disaster resilience of different types of transient communities. The proposed method can help decision makers in identifying the areas that are lagging behind, and those that need to be prioritized when allocating limited and/or stretched resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk Management and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

20 pages, 2107 KiB  
Review
Advanced Technologies for Offering Situational Intelligence in Flood Warning and Response Systems: A Literature Review
by Srimal Samansiri, Terrence Fernando and Bingunath Ingirige
Water 2022, 14(13), 2091; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/w14132091 - 29 Jun 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5077
Abstract
Deaths and property damage from floods have increased drastically in the past two decades due to various reasons such as increased populations, unplanned developments, and climate change. Such losses from floods can be reduced by issuing timely early warnings and through effective response [...] Read more.
Deaths and property damage from floods have increased drastically in the past two decades due to various reasons such as increased populations, unplanned developments, and climate change. Such losses from floods can be reduced by issuing timely early warnings and through effective response mechanisms based on situational intelligence during emerging flood situations. This paper presents the outcome of a literature review that was conducted to identify the types and sources of the intelligence required for flood warning and response processes as well as the technology solutions that can be used for offering such intelligence. Twenty-seven different types of intelligence are presented together with the technologies that can be used to extract such intelligence. Furthermore, a conceptual architecture that illustrates how relevant technology solutions can be used to extract intelligence at various stages of a flood cycle for decision-making in issuing early warnings and planning responses is presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk Management and Resilience)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-18
Back to TopTop