95 research outputs found
Modélisation de la performance hydraulique des toitures végétalisées, sur le long terme et pour des événements particuliers
Blue steps towards sustainable development: A project mapping and assessing the sustainability of Danish climate adaptation projects
emerging perspectives for flood risk assessment and management
Flood estimation and flood management have traditionally been the domain of
hydrologists, water resources engineers and statisticians, and disciplinary
approaches abound. Dominant views have been shaped; one example is the
catchment perspective: floods are formed and influenced by the interaction of
local, catchment-specific characteristics, such as meteorology, topography and
geology. These traditional views have been beneficial, but they have a narrow
framing. In this paper we contrast traditional views with broader perspectives
that are emerging from an improved understanding of the climatic context of
floods. We come to the following conclusions: (1) extending the traditional
system boundaries (local catchment, recent decades, hydrological/hydraulic
processes) opens up exciting possibilities for better understanding and
improved tools for flood risk assessment and management. (2) Statistical
approaches in flood estimation need to be complemented by the search for the
causal mechanisms and dominant processes in the atmosphere, catchment and
river system that leave their fingerprints on flood characteristics. (3)
Natural climate variability leads to time-varying flood characteristics, and
this variation may be partially quantifiable and predictable, with the
perspective of dynamic, climate-informed flood risk management. (4) Efforts
are needed to fully account for factors that contribute to changes in all
three risk components (hazard, exposure, vulnerability) and to better
understand the interactions between society and floods. (5) Given the global
scale and societal importance, we call for the organization of an
international multidisciplinary collaboration and data-sharing initiative to
further understand the links between climate and flooding and to advance flood
research
Floods and climate: emerging perspectives for flood risk assessment and management
Flood estimation and flood management have traditionally been the domain of
hydrologists, water resources engineers and statisticians, and disciplinary
approaches abound. Dominant views have been shaped; one example is the
catchment perspective: floods are formed and influenced by the interaction
of local, catchment-specific characteristics, such as meteorology,
topography and geology. These traditional views have been beneficial, but
they have a narrow framing. In this paper we contrast traditional views with
broader perspectives that are emerging from an improved understanding of the
climatic context of floods. We come to the following conclusions: (1) extending the traditional
system boundaries (local catchment, recent decades, hydrological/hydraulic
processes) opens up exciting possibilities for better understanding and
improved tools for flood risk assessment and management. (2) Statistical
approaches in flood estimation need to be complemented by the search for the
causal mechanisms and dominant processes in the atmosphere, catchment and
river system that leave their fingerprints on flood characteristics.
(3) Natural climate variability leads to time-varying flood characteristics, and
this variation may be partially quantifiable and predictable, with the
perspective of dynamic, climate-informed flood risk management.
(4) Efforts are needed to fully account for factors that contribute to changes
in all three risk components (hazard, exposure, vulnerability) and to
better understand the interactions between society and floods. (5) Given the
global scale and societal importance, we call for the organization of an
international multidisciplinary collaboration and data-sharing initiative to
further understand the links between climate and flooding and to advance
flood research
Effect of climate change on stormwater runoff characteristics and treatment efficiencies of stormwater retention ponds: a case study from Denmark using TSS and Cu as indicator pollutants
Adaptation to flood risk: Results of international paired flood event studies
As flood impacts are increasing in large parts of the world, understanding the primary drivers of changes in risk is essential for effective adaptation. To gain more knowledge on the basis of empirical case studies, we analyze eight paired floods, that is, consecutive flood events that occurred in the same region, with the second flood causing significantly lower damage. These success stories of risk reduction were selected across different socioeconomic and hydro-climatic contexts. The potential of societies to adapt is uncovered by describing triggered societal changes, as well as formal measures and spontaneous processes that reduced flood risk. This novel approach has the potential to build the basis for an international data collection and analysis effort to better understand and attribute changes in risk due to hydrological extremes in the framework of the IAHSs Panta Rhei initiative. Across all case studies, we find that lower damage caused by the second event was mainly due to significant reductions in vulnerability, for example, via raised risk awareness, preparedness, and improvements of organizational emergency management. Thus, vulnerability reduction plays an essential role for successful adaptation. Our work shows that there is a high potential to adapt, but there remains the challenge to stimulate measures that reduce vulnerability and risk in periods in which extreme events do not occur
Evaluating the Impact of Nature-Based Solutions: A Handbook for Practitioners
The Handbook aims to provide decision-makers with a comprehensive NBS impact assessment framework, and a robust set of indicators and methodologies to assess impacts of nature-based solutions across 12 societal challenge areas: Climate Resilience; Water Management; Natural and Climate Hazards; Green Space Management; Biodiversity; Air Quality; Place Regeneration; Knowledge and Social Capacity Building for Sustainable Urban Transformation; Participatory Planning and Governance; Social Justice and Social Cohesion; Health and Well-being; New Economic Opportunities and Green Jobs. Indicators have been developed collaboratively by representatives of 17 individual EU-funded NBS projects and collaborating institutions such as the EEA and JRC, as part of the European Taskforce for NBS Impact Assessment, with the four-fold objective of: serving as a reference for relevant EU policies and activities; orient urban practitioners in developing robust impact evaluation frameworks for nature-based solutions at different scales; expand upon the pioneering work of the EKLIPSE framework by providing a comprehensive set of indicators and methodologies; and build the European evidence base regarding NBS impacts. They reflect the state of the art in current scientific research on impacts of nature-based solutions and valid and standardized methods of assessment, as well as the state of play in urban implementation of evaluation frameworks
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Anthropogenic intensification of short-duration rainfall extremes
Short- duration (1-3 h) rainfall extremes can cause serious damage to societies through rapidly developing (flash) flooding and are determined by complex, multifaceted processes that are altering as Earth's climate warms. In this Review, we examine evidence from observational, theoretical and modelling studies for the intensification of these rainfall extremes, the drivers and the impact on flash flooding. Both short- duration and long- duration (\textgreater1 day) rainfall extremes are intensifying with warming at a rate consistent with the increase in atmospheric moisture (~7% K-1), while in some regions, increases in short- duration extreme rainfall intensities are stronger than expected from moisture increases alone. These stronger local increases are related to feedbacks in convective clouds, but their exact role is uncertain because of the very small scales involved. Future extreme rainfall intensification is also modulated by changes to temperature stratification and large- scale atmospheric circulation. The latter remains a major source of uncertainty. Intensification of short- duration extremes has likely increased the incidence of flash flooding at local scales and this can further compound with an increase in storm spatial footprint to considerably increase total event rainfall. These findings call for urgent climate change adaptation measures to manage increasing flood risks
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