Optimal management of the flooding risk caused by the joint occurrence of extreme rainfall and high tide level in a coastal city

Abstract

Coastal cities are more vulnerable to floods due to the joint impact of rainfall and tide level. Quantitative risk assessment of disaster-causing factors is critical to urban flood management. This paper presents an integrated method to quantify the hazard degree of disaster-causing factors, rainfall and tide level, and to investigate the optimal management of flooding risk in different disaster-causing factor areas. First, an urban flood inundation model is used to simulate inundated extents in different drainage districts. Then, formulas are put forward to calculate the hazard degree of rainfall and tide level based on inundated extents in different combinations of rainfall and tide level. According to the hazard degree, the main disaster-causing factor could be identified in each drainage district. Finally, the optimal management of flooding risk in different disaster-causing factor areas is selected by disaster reduction analysis and cost–benefit analysis. Furthermore, the coastal city, Haikou of China, is taken as a case study. The results indicate that the hazard degree increases with the increasing distance between the drainage district and the Qiongzhou Strait or the Nandu River in the eastern of Haikou. Heavy rain is the main disaster-causing factor in inland areas, while high tide level is the main disaster-causing factor in island areas. For the area whose main disaster-causing factor is heavy rain, water storage projects could effectively reduce flooding. Meanwhile, pumps are economical choices for the area where tide level is the main disaster-causing factor. The results can provide reference for drainage planning in other coastal areas.