Water - Flooding

Title

Reference

Author(s)

J.B. Ellis

Study type

Peer Review Journal    

Abstract

Based on the analysis of impervious surface cover and water balance studies, it is argued that conventional, separately-sewered first-generation and alternative second-generation sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) cannot provide a fully sustainable surface water management approach for urban catchment planning. An extended approach based on the introduction of micro-and meso-vegetative SUDS systems into a wider green infrastructure (GI) framework is advocated to effectively address on-site and catchment urban surface water issues. The approach is based on the integrated planning implementation of street ‘greening’, with optimisation of existing biofiltration SUDS solutions, together with green roofs, downspout disconnection and sub-catchment riparian corridors to achieve a minimum 25–30% canopy cover level. A ‘leaf-out’ inventory procedure using GIS and satellite imagery can be employed to assess potential vegetative SUDS locations and types, and their likely impact upon the urban water cycle and receiving water health. However, there is a need to ensure that GI elements are incorporated into planning approaches and protocols for urban drainage infrastructure provision.

Policy theme(s)

Urban environment >> Urban planning >> Sustainable cities
Water >> Flooding
Water >> Urban water management

Keywords

urban surface water, impermeable surface cover, biofiltration sustainable drainage systems, green infrastructure, leaf-out inventory, development planning

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert 

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http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09640568.2011.648752
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B.Ellis@mdx.ac.uk

Title

Reference

Volume 26, Issue 1, pages 19–29, March 2012

Author(s)

N. R. P. Bastien, S. Arthur, M. J. McLoughlin

Study type

Peer Review Journal    

Abstract

Understanding the potential concerns and needs of residents is key to achieving good acceptability of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). This paper highlights, through the application of a structured questionnaire, the potential value to residents of living in close proximity to a SuDS pond. The results show that although the pond's characteristics are not the main factor influencing the choice to move into an area, its effect is markedly positive. Contingent valuation of the benefits is used to show that the additional value brought by SuDS amenity, when monetised, can offset a pond's initial construction costs and ongoing maintenance, hence ensuring the return on investment for developers. By building on existing research, this paper highlights major changes in the perception and valuation of pond structures.

Policy theme(s)

Environmental information services >> Environmental communication >> Stakeholder/public engagement
Urban environment >> Urban planning >> Sustainable cities
Water >> Flooding

Keywords

contingent valuation;drainage;residents' perception;SuDS

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-6593.2011.00259.x/abstract
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bastiennicolas@hotmail.com

Title

Exploring the relationship between public environmental ethics and river flood policies in western Europe

Reference

Journal of Environmental Management
Volume 93, Issue 1, January 2012, Pages 1–9

Author(s)

Study type

Peer Review Journal   

Abstract

Two styles of river flood management can be distinguished: dike reinforcement and the more sustainable 'Room for River' option. This paper investigates public adherences to these two management styles and whether their adherence correlates with their Visions of Nature. The focus is especially on people's image of the appropriate human/nature relationship, i.e. Mastery over nature, Stewardship of nature, Partnership of nature or Participation in nature. Other variables that are part of the analysis are the respondents' sense of place, safety perception and background variables. The results of a written survey among riverside residents in France, Germany and the Netherlands (N = 1811) show high adherences to the Room for River style and a rejection of dike reinforcement. A regression analysis shows that adherence to the Room for River style correlates with adherence to the image of Stewardship, while adherence to dike reinforcement is predicted by Mastery over nature. Thus, according to the public a policy shift from dike reinforcement to a more sustainable style is seen as a fundamental one, connected to a change in environmental ethics.

Policy theme(s)

Environmental information services >> Environmental communication >> Stakeholder/public engagement
Natural hazards >> Flooding
Water >> Flooding

Keywords

Visions of nature; Place attachment; Public perceptions; Public support;
River restoration; Flood risk management

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert 

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http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479711003197

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mirjam.degroot@wur.nl

Title

A method for linking results from an evaluation of land use scenarios from the viewpoint of flood prevention and nature conservation

Reference

Landscape and Urban Planning
Volume 103, Issue 2, 30 November 2011, Pages 118-128

Author(s)

Elke Richert, Sylvi Bianchin, Hermann Heilmeier, Mariusz Merta, Christina Seidler

Study type

Peer Review Journal   

Abstract

Flood prevention and nature conservation are often considered not to be compatible. This publication presents a method by which different land use scenarios can be developed and interdisciplinarily evaluated from both the flood prevention and nature conservation perspective. The method was designed and tested using a small subcatchment area in the Eastern Erzgebirge (Saxony, Germany) as an example. Based on guidelines four scenarios were developed. Main measures are transformation of arable fields into extensively used grasslands, afforestation and ecological transformation of forests. The ecological assessment was based on an analysis of biotope types and closely linked to an evaluation of landscape structure. To asses the hydrological situation and to identify risk areas in the catchment, the expert system WBS-FLAB was used. The assessment procedures were designed to enable a comparison of various scenarios with each other. Finally the evaluation results of both assessment procedures were related to each other. A comparison with the actual situation shows that all four developed land use scenarios can improve the situation from both the perspective of flood prevention as well as of nature conservation. In practice, the presented method can be a valuable interdisciplinary decision support for decision-makers and landscape planners.

Policy theme(s)

Biodiversity >> Habitats >> Habitat management
Land use >> Planning
Natural hazards >> Flooding
Water >> Flooding

Keywords

Hydrological modelling; Expert system; Runoff generation; Conservation assessment; Landscape metrics; Conservation guidelines

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204611002325
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elke.richert@ioez.tu-freiberg.de

Title

Flash flood forecasting, warning and risk management: the HYDRATE project

Reference

Environmental Science & Policy
Volume 14, Issue 7, November 2011, Pages 834-844

Author(s)

M. Bora E.N. Anagnostou, G. Blöschl, J.-D. Creutin

Study type

Peer Review Journal 

Abstract

The management of flash flood hazards and risks is a critical component of public safety and quality of life. Flash-floods develop at space and time scales that conventional observation systems are not able to monitor for rainfall and river discharge. Consequently, the atmospheric and hydrological generating mechanisms of flash-floods are poorly understood, leading to highly uncertain forecasts of these events. The objective of the HYDRATE project has been to improve the scientific basis of flash flood forecasting by advancing and harmonising a European-wide innovative flash flood observation strategy and developing a coherent set of technologies and tools for effective early warning systems. To this end, the project included actions on the organization of the existing flash flood data patrimony across Europe. The final aim of HYDRATE was to enhance the capability of flash flood forecasting in ungauged basins by exploiting the extended availability of flash flood data and the improved process understanding. This paper provides a review of the work conducted in HYDRATE with a special emphasis on how this body of research can contribute to guide the policy-life cycle concerning flash flood risk management.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Climate change adaptation >> Flooding and water management
Natural hazards >> Flooding

Risk assessment >> Risk assessment methodologies     
Water >> Flooding

Keywords

Flash flood; Flood risk; Flood forecasting; Climate change

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462901111000943
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marco.borga@unipd.it

Title

Reference

Estuaries and Coasts
Volume 34, Number 3, 483-493, DOI: 10.1007/s12237-011-9390-x EU funded

Author(s)

John Day, Carles Ibánez, Francesco Scarton, Didier Pont, Philippe Hensel, Jason Day and Robert Lane

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Abstract We report on a decadal trend of accretionary
dynamics in the wetlands of several northwesternMediterranean
deltas and a lagoon system, all of them with high rates of
wetland loss. Wetland vertical accretion and surface
elevation change were measured at 55 riverine, marine,
and impounded sites in four coastal systems: the Ebro
delta, Spain; the Rhône delta, France; and the Po delta
and Venice Lagoon, Italy. Vertical accretion and elevation
change ranged between 0 and 25 mm year–1 and were
strongly correlated. The highest rates of elevation gain
occurred at riverine sites where vertical accretion was
highest. We conclude that areas with high sediment input,
mainly riverine, are the only ones likely to survive
accelerated sea-level rise, especially if recent higher
estimates of 1 m or more in the twenty-first century prove
to be accurate. This is the first study where the importance
of river input on wetland survival has been demonstrated
at a decadal time scale over a broad geographical area.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy>> Climate change adaptation>>Flooding and water management
Marine ecosystems>>Coastal management
Water>>Flooding

Keywords

Deltas, Sediment input, Flood pulse, Sea-level rise, Mediterranean wetlands

Entry Source:

N/A

Referred to in EC doc:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://www.springerlink.com/content/j115kqu5rm103355/
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johnday@lsu.edu

Title

Reference

Nature Volume: 470, Pages:382-385

Author(s)

Pardeep Pall, Tolu Aina, Dáithí A. Stone, Peter A. Stott, Toru Nozawa, Arno G. J. Hilberts, Dag Lohmann & Myles R. Allen

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Interest in attributing the risk of damaging weather-related events to anthropogenic climate change is increasing. Yet climate models used to study the attribution problem typically do not resolve the weather systems associated with damaging events such as the UK floods of October and November 2000. Occurring during the wettest autumn in England and Wales since records began in 1766, these floods damaged nearly 10,000 properties across that region, disrupted services severely, and caused insured losses estimated at £1.3 billion. Although the flooding was deemed a 'wake-up call' to the impacts of climate change at the time, such claims are typically supported only by general thermodynamic arguments that suggest increased extreme precipitation under global warming, but fail to account fully for the complex hydrometeorology associated with flooding. Here we present a multi-step, physically based 'probabilistic event attribution' framework showing that it is very likely that global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions substantially increased the risk of flood occurrence in England and Wales in autumn 2000. Using publicly volunteered distributed computing, we generate several thousand seasonal-forecast-resolution climate model simulations of autumn 2000 weather, both under realistic conditions, and under conditions as they might have been had these greenhouse gas emissions and the resulting large-scale warming never occurred. Results are fed into a precipitation-runoff model that is used to simulate severe daily river runoff events in England and Wales (proxy indicators of flood events). The precise magnitude of the anthropogenic contribution remains uncertain, but in nine out of ten cases our model results indicate that twentieth-century anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions increased the risk of floods occurring in England and Wales in autumn 2000 by more than 20%, and in two out of three cases by more than 90%.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Climate change adaptation >> Flooding and water management
Water >> Flooding

Keywords

N/A

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v470/n7334/full/nature09762.html
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p.pall@atm.ox.ac.uk

Title

Analyses of seasonal and annual maximum daily discharge records for central Europe

Reference

Journal of Hydrology
Volume 399, Issues 3-4, 18 March 2011, Pages 299-312

Author(s)

Gabriele Villarini, James A. Smith, Francesco Serinaldi and Alexandros A. Ntelekos

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Annual and seasonal maximum daily discharge time series for 55 stations in central Europe (Germany,Switzerland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia) are used to examine flood frequency from a regional perspective. In this study we examine temporal nonstationarities in the flood peak records, and characterize
upper tail and scaling properties of the flood peak distributions. There is a marked seasonality in the flood peak record, with a large fraction of annual maximum flood peaks occurring during the winter in the western part of the study domain, and during the summer in the southern portion of this region. The presence
of abrupt and slowly varying changes in the flood time series is examined by means of non-parametric tests. Change-points in the mean and variance of the flood peak distributions are examined using the Pettitt test, while the presence of monotonic patterns is examined by means of Spearman and Mann-Kendall
tests. Abrupt changes, rather than monotonic trends are responsible for violations of the stationarity assumption. These step changes can often be associated with anthropogenic effects, such as construction of dams and reservoirs and river training. Given the profound changes that these catchments have undergone,
it is difficult to detect a possible climate change signal in the flood peak record.
The estimates of the location, scale, and shape parameters of the Generalized Extreme Value distribution are used to examine the upper tail and scaling properties of the flood peak distributions. The location and scale parameters exhibit a power law behaviour when plotted as a function of drainage area, while
the shape parameter decreases log-linearly for increasing catchment area. The findings of this study suggest that these records exhibit a heavy tail behaviour.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy>>Climate change adaptation>>Flooding and water management
Water>> Flooding

Keywords

Flood, Stationarity, Climate change, Extreme value statistics, Central Europe

Entry Source:

N/A

Referred to in EC doc:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

View this study at:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022169411000321
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gvillari@princeton.edu

Title

Reference

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Volume 174, Numbers 1-4, 91-106
DOI: 10.1007/s10661-010-1757-0

Author(s)

Manfred Stähli, Alexandre Badoux, Andreas Ludwig, Karl Steiner, Massimiliano Zappa and Christoph Hegg

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Long-term data on precipitation and runoff are essential to draw firm conclusions about the behavior and trends of hydrological catchments that may be influenced by land use and climate change. Here the longest continuous runoff records from small catchments (<1 km2) in Switzerland (and possibly worldwide) are reported. The history of the hydrological monitoring in the Sperbel- and Rappengraben (Emmental) is summarized, and inherent uncertainties in the data arising from the operation of the gauges are described. The runoff stations operated safely for more than 90% of the summer months when most of the major flood events occurred. Nevertheless, the absolute values of peak runoff during the largest flood events are subject to considerable uncertainty. The observed differences in average, base, and peak runoff can only partly be attributed to the substantial differences in forest coverage. This treasure trove of data can be used in various ways, exemplified here with an analysis of the generalized extreme value distributions of the two catchments. These distributions, and hence flood return periods, have varied greatly in the course of one century, influenced by the occurrence of single extreme events. The data will be made publicly available for the further analysis of the mechanisms governing the runoff behavior of small catchments, as well as for testing stochastic and deterministic models.

Policy theme(s)

Water >> River basin management (WFD)
Water >> Flooding

Keywords

Runoff, Hydrology, Small catchments, Forest coverage, Extreme value distribution

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/t22un24086818w24/
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Manfred.staehli@wsl.ch