Flooding rehabilitation in Lezha city

Abstract

Climate change is one of the most important issues discussed worldwide, as it has local and regional impacts that profoundly affect communities. Precipitation is the most critical and key element in both the atmospheric and hydrological cycles. The variability of the precipitation regime is the main consequence of climate change which is bringing the most frequent occurrence of extreme events such as droughts and floods. There is a growing need for strategic assessments of changes in precipitation regimes in current and future conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in the precipitation regime in the city of Lezha using the data observed from the meteorological stations of the Institute of Geosciences. By studying the data of last year’s 2020 and 2021 compared to the multi-year average we understand the trends of the variability of the precipitation regime, in which we reached the conclusion that we have an increase in the amount of precipitation, which leads to rapid flooding and urban flooding. The main problem regarding urban flooding in Lezha city is because of the precipitation. Following the problem typologies which are mainly due to large areas of concrete or similar non-permeable materials, combined with dense buildings and with the lack of proper drainage road system or proper maintenance, two alternatives are seen as a solution to these problems. Worldwide, Green Infrastructure (GI) has mainly been discussed from an adaptation strategy perspective in cities and urban areas. However, we believe that GI can also function in rural and suburban areas where depopulation is prominent. After the study of the area, it was noticed that there are no free spaces as all the neighborhoods are occupied and concreted. Starting from this, the first solution concerns the conversion of concreted spaces into green spaces, this makes it easier for water to penetrate the ground surface. Green spaces have a fundamentally protective role against the effects of climate change, such as food and water scarcity, while also contributing to CO2 reduction in the atmosphere through their sink function. Adding green spaces besides soil water permeability thus contributing to the reduction of floods would help in terms of reducing pollution of the air and creating spaces that citizens can use. Many such spaces were identified in the city of Lezha that’s why this proposal comes. In some areas of the city, there was a problem with the lack of open spaces of any kind due to the high density of buildings. Being impossible to intervene with the addition of green spaces in these areas, as a solution is seen in the intervention in the drainage system of the roads. The roads in these areas were very narrow and had no drainage system at all the few that had been in very poor condition. These are seen as emergency interventions to solve this problem in the city of Lezha. In conclusion, based on a broad and integrated vision of issues related to territorial and environmental systems, this proposal aims at concrete actions to ensure the adaptation of the territory and the environment to the phenomenon of urban flooding.