Technology, Science, and Culture: A Global Vision

The aim of the Workshop: Technology, Science, and Culture - A Global Vision is to create a discussion forum on research related to the fields of Water Science, Food Science, Intelligent Systems, Molecular Biomedicine, and Creation and Theories of Culture. The workshop is intended to discuss research on current problems, relevant methodologies, and future research streams and to create an environment for the exchange of ideas and collaboration among participants

Advancing the Unit Flood Response Approach for Urban Flood Management

Flooding is the most frequent natural disaster that causes significant, societal, economic, and environmental damage. The processes involved in flooding are shaped by spatial and temporal factors including weather patterns, topography and geomorphology. In urban setting, where landscapers are dynamic, land cover, green spaces, and drainage play a crucial role. Recognising flood source areas (FSAs) is pivotal for strategic flood risk management (FRM). Although FSA identification is not novel concept, recent advancements in flood modelling research, driven by technology and methodology improvements have extended beyond traditional methods. Emerging modelling approaches in FRM propose innovative methodologies for flood risk mitigation focusing on understanding and addressing flooding at its source. This thesis offers a review of current modelling approaches used to identify FSAs, specifically the Unit Flood Response (UFR) approach. The approach is a spatial prioritisation method for flood defences and mitigation. Traditionally, reliant on hydrological modelling and streamflow routing, this these instead uses rain-on-grid models (TUFLOW and HEC-RAS 2D) to assess the importance of model choice for the UFR approach for a catchment in the UK. The thesis further developed the UFR methodology by using a Hazard Index (HI) and Building Exposure Index (BEI) to show the significant differences between the model outputs, as well as emphasising on the computational costs associated with these methodologies. Additionally, recognising the important role of drainage systems in urban infrastructure, this thesis addresses the limited body of work available on drainage representation in flood models by introducing the Capacity Assessment Framework (CAF) to be used for drainage representation. By applying the CAF to assess and represent the drainage system in Leeds, the thesis draws a direct link between spatial prioritisation of flood defences and drainage system performance. The thesis introduces the application of the CAF outputs in flood models, demonstrating a more explicit representation of spatially varied drinage capacity. By comparing the national average removal rate (NARR) of 12 mm/hr with CAFderived rates, the significant of realistic drainage representation in flood models is highlighted. Lastly, the UFR approach coupled with 2D rain-on-grid modelling is used to investigate the impact of climate change and drainage representation in the Lin Dyke catchment. This approach considers three scenarios (Baseline, Baseline+Climate Change, and Baseline+Climate Change+Drainage) to establish hazard and building exposure indices. Results highlight the importance of incorporating climate change projections and drainage representation in the UFR methodology for a thorough urban flood risk assessment. In synthesis, this thesis investigates the multiple factors of flood risk management, offering insights and innovations across various dimensions. The Unit Flood Response (UFR) emerges as promising tools for identifying flood source areas (FSAs), emphasising the need for adaptive decision-making in flood risk management (FRM). Our investigation extends beyond affected areas, focusing on understanding, and addressing flooding at its source. Moreover, the introduction of the Capacity Assessment Framework (CAF) provides a novel methodology for representing drainage systems in flood models based on their realistic performance in urban environments. By incorporating realistic representations of spatially varied drainage capacities in flood models, this thesis highlightsthe importance of considering multiple factors in the assessment for effective urban flood risk management. As climate change and urban development exert increasing pressures, the findings in this thesis underscore the importance of integrating these factors into flood risk models to ensure resilience and relevance in the face of evolving challenge

Multi-threaded Congo River channel hydraulics: Field-based characterisation and representation in hydrodynamic models

Hydrodynamic processes that occur along the Congo Middle Reach are a key determinant of risks pertaining to biogeochemical cycling, ecology, public health, transportation, and flood risk. Knowledge of channel hydraulics is paramount to understanding and modelling these hydrodynamic processes, yet such knowledge is severely lacking here. The aims of the research presented in this thesis were twofold. The first aim was to assess the water surface and in-channel hydraulic conditions along the Congo Middle Reach, and the capacity of satellite observations to determine these conditions. The second aim was to evaluate methods of channel geometric representation in hydrodynamic models of the multichannel Congo mainstem. Fieldwork was central to achieving these aims; the field data having been used to characterise hydraulics, assess satellite altimetry datasets, model bathymetry, and model fluvial hydraulics and hydrodynamics. A key finding of the hydraulic characterisation was a complete absence of river flow constrictions that cause backwater effects, which partly explains the relatively subtle nature of inundation here. Assessment of existing satellite profiling altimetry datasets showed their spatial coverage adequately captures the water surface profile along more than 1,200 kilometres of the middle reach. However, coverage was insufficient through the Chenal entrance, where a downstream increase in bed-slope generates a significant drawdown effect. Satellite altimetry deviated from field measurements by two metres here, which is half the annual flood wave amplitude. The findings show that these satellite profiling altimeters cannot be relied on to capture significant water surface slope variability resulting from gradually varied flow conditions, even on the world’s largest rivers. Modelling work showed that the Congo’s multi-threaded channel geometry can be simplified to an effective single channel in a hydrodynamic model, without introducing significant error. The resultant root mean square error in water surface elevation was estimated to be less than 0.25 metres, providing channel friction and shape parameters are calibrated to observations obtained across the entire flow range. This finding may apply to other large multi-threaded channel reaches, which are commonly found on the world’s largest rivers