Flood Risk Management in the Upper Caroni River Basin

Abstract

Flooding is more common than earthquakes and hurricanes, leaving casualties, infrastructure damage, and economic losses in its wake. The October 2018 floods in Trinidad heightened public concern about the ability of public authorities to manage floods. This study investigates the impact of five combinations of detention basins and embankments on the cost of physical damage to residential buildings in the Caroni River Basin. Further comparison of the maximum flood depth before and after the implementation of structural mitigation combinations was conducted for typical design return periods of 5, 25, 50, and 100 years. The results showed that strategically introducing detention ponds along the Aripo and Guanapo Rivers caused the greatest reduction in flood damage cost (12.86%). Evidence also suggests that attenuation of flood waters by detention ponds is a better alternative to flood protection by embankment-only options