Sustainable flood management system frameworks in Dili Municipality, Timor Leste

This paper presents a prototype framework for sustainable flood management at the national level which features stakeholder participation, and is modified and applied to a case study. Through literature reviews and an interview survey of South Korea (the case study country), the causes of recent flood damage are found to be heavy rainfall due to climate change, urbanization, insufficient channel capacities and the application of inadequate measures. The interview survey also shows that, to reduce flood damage, along with consistent implementation of systematic long-term plans, minimizing injudicious artificial development is critical and necessary. Using the framework developed for South Korea on the basis of the findings and the prototype framework, national flood management is assessed and discussed. In particular, an implementation process based on flood risk management and integrated strategies is proposed to practically achieve the objectives of management practices with the cooperation of governmental organizations and stakeholders under circumstances of high uncertainty. Consequently, it is concluded that the effective conduct of sustainable flood management at the national level in South Korea requires a recognition of the context of flood management, cooperation and information sharing about flooding, and social learning and change, all of which can be achieved through the active participation of stakeholders.

<p>There are evidences that climate change as a result of both natural and anthropogenic processes has exacerbated the frequency and the severity of flood hazards over past decades across the world. Moreover, changes in the pattern of precipitation and temperature during the 21<sup>st</sup> century are expected to induce region-specific impacts on floods, especially increase in local floods in some catchments. However, the future is hard to predict as there are strong discrepancies in how climate change is expected to affect runoff and river discharge at different places. Many studies have proven that not only climate, socio-economic and physical factors such as elevation and soil type are determinant for flood risk characterisation. Anthropogenic activities and impacts through land use and land cover degradation have substantial implication for hydrological processes. Moreover, catchment management play an important role in sustainable flood management which is generally based on technical knowledge. But it must also be socially and politically meaningful. This is especially relevant for transboundary catchments where riparian countries might offer different economic, social and political environment, and hence have distinct approaches of flood risk reduction and management. An effective cooperation between states sharing transboundary water resources must include a continuum comprised of data exchange, information sharing, collaboration and joint action. It is a search for cooperative management while respecting the sovereignty of each state. There is a variety of methods used for assessing transboundary management and identifying cooperative strategies. Among others, the following ones can be mentioned: the Water Cooperation Quotient, the multiobjective analysis, hydropolicy simulation models, the Multiobjective Evolutionary Algorithms (MOEAs) and a combination of the two later. Hence this study aims at exploring various approaches of transboundary management and analyses experienced over the world. Lessons will afterward be drawn in the context of climate and land use change in the transboundary Mono River catchment shared by the Republics of Benin and Togo.</p>

Flood is a critical issue in Bangladesh. Regular flooding affects 20% of the country, increasing in extreme years. Various measures, policy planning and actions have been taken in different time period. Legislation and policy planning are essential for flood management, which should be guided by distinct policy, strategies, legal frameworks, and action planning. A review of legislative and institutional arrangements is required for effective and sustainable flood management. In this research, the evolution of flood management actions and policies is reviewed considering the related environmental and social changes. The approach to flood management is shifting to a more comprehensive risk reduction effort following environmental changes such as climate change. Extreme floods are increasing. The history of extreme flood management is short compared to that of annual flood management. However, extreme floods have significant impacts. Thus, a holistic approach by all stakeholders is encouraged. This review could help to examine how to increase local involvement in flood control and water management projects.

Flood is a critical issue in Bangladesh. Regular flooding affects 20% of the country, increasing in extreme years. Various measures, policy planning and actions have been taken in different time period. Legislation and policy planning are essential for flood management, which should be guided by distinct policy, strategies, legal frameworks, and action planning. A review of legislative and institutional arrangements is required for effective and sustainable flood management. In this research, the evolution of flood management actions and policies is reviewed considering the related environmental and social changes. The approach to flood management is shifting to a more comprehensive risk reduction effort following environmental changes such as climate change. Extreme floods are increasing. The history of extreme flood management is short compared to that of annual flood management. However, extreme floods have significant impacts. Thus, a holistic approach by all stakeholders is encouraged. This review could help to examine how to increase local involvement in flood control and water management projects.

Scoping the role of agriculture in sustainable flood management

Managing flood risks in a changing climate

Examining the links between land use and flood risk is essential for sustainable urban development and effective flood management. The combined effects of urbanisation and climate change are significantly increasing urban flood risk, as the often-uncoordinated expansion of cities is leading to a loss of natural catchments and green spaces, reducing the soil's capacity to absorb water and increasing surface runoff. Urban planning must take into account land use changes that have a direct impact on the hydrological conditions of watersheds. A key element in managing urban flood risk is appropriate land use planning to prevent overdevelopment, especially in high flood-risk areas. Research shows that infrastructure investments should be implemented in a coordinated way to reduce future flood risks. Sustainable flood management will require holistic approaches, including structural and non-structural measures. Such measures include community involvement, green infrastructure development and protecting and restoring natural river basins.

South Asia faces increasing flooding risks due to climatic and socio-economic changes. Various measures have been adopted by the governments of the countries in this region. However, these measures are not adequate to protect the vulnerable communities from ever-increasing flood losses. This study assesses the policy and planning processes and flood-related scientific research in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Based on a systematic review, a comparison of the existing flood management systems of the three countries is undertaken, and a framework for sustainable flood management in the region is suggested. Insights from the literature show that Bangladesh has been able to develop an effective governance structure to address flood hazards, while Pakistan’s approach to flood management planning is found to be largely inadequate. This inadequacy is mainly attributed to missing links in policy formulation and planning processes, along with a lack of institutional coordination. The results of the literature analysis reveal poor support from scientific research focusing on flooding issues in the case of Pakistan, while Bangladesh and India seem to have benefited from research support in formulating their flood management strategies. Based on these findings, an alternative framework is suggested, emphasizing the need to enhance institutional linkages, community participation and evidence-based research.

Surface water flooding is an issue which has required an increased level of addressment over the past two decades, with the methods used to combat flood events seeing an evolution. This evolution has been influenced heavily by multi-scale legislations and policies, which has pushed for more holistic methods for pluvial flood management. This review will analyse how Bristol City Council have implemented these multi-scale pieces and what has been put in place to encourage sustainable flood management. This will be done through a purposive review of the literature and an extensive review of legislation and policies on a national, European, and regional scale. The findings of the review were able to show that international legislation and policies are not in place to support sustainable management. UK policies, however, were more supportive, with direct reference and guidance for how to move away from hard engineering solutions. The City of Bristol has embraced the concept of sustainable flood management, with the highest level of support witnessed through the multi-scale review. Overall, the City of Bristol has achieved a good understanding of how to use sustainable drainage, with many systems throughout the city, and schemes to support the use. However, further legislative pieces need to be passed on a national and European scale to encourage and promote the deployment of these systems, so the benefits can be acquired on a large scale.

Ice jams are critical components of the hydraulic regimes of rivers in cold regions. In addition to contributing to the maintenance of wetland ecology, including aquatic animals and waterfowl, ice jams provide essential moisture and nutrient replenishment to perched lakes and ponds in northern inland deltas. However, river ice-jam flooding can have detrimental impacts on in-stream aquatic ecosystems, cause damage to property and infrastructure, and present hazards to riverside communities. In order to maintain sustainable communities and ecosystems, ice-jam flooding must be both mitigated and promoted. This study reviews various flood management strategies used worldwide, and points to the knowledge gaps in these strategies. The main objective of the paper is to provide a framework for a sustainable ice-jam flood management strategy in order to better protect riverine socio-economic and socio-ecological systems. Sustainable flood management must be a carefully adopted and integrated strategy that includes both economic and ecological perspectives in order to mitigate ice-jam flooding in riverside socio-economic systems, while at the same time promoting ice-jam flooding of riverine socio-ecological systems such as inland deltas.

Climate change has emerged as one of the most pressing issues of the twenty-first century. Its induced disasters have posed significant threats to social, economic and environmental systems on the planet earth. Thus, the understanding of implications of climate change is crucial for developing effective mitigation and adaptation strategies. Climate change-induced flood has caused significant economic and environmental losses. This review paper synthesises the state of knowledge on flood susceptibility, vulnerability and risk for identifying research gaps and recommending future research. We collected the articles on the research domains through Web of Science and Scopus search engines to create a coherent database for analysis. A total of 156 research articles were Analysed after the exclusion criteria for the state of research. A bibliometric and systematic analyses were carried out for examining the trend in the publication, frequency of keywords, scale and distribution of studies during 1990-2023. The major emphasis of the review was on conceptualisation, approaches and methods used for analysing flood susceptibility, vulnerability and risk. The findings of this study revealed that most of the reviewed research papers were focused on flood susceptibility, risk and vulnerability while less attempts have been made on flood perception, flood resilience and flood management. The effectiveness of flood resilience, community-based initiatives and policy frameworks for sustainable flood management has been explored for the holistic and interdisciplinary approach. This paper emphasises the necessity of collaboration between policymakers, scientists and local communities to develop adaptive and resilient flood management strategies for future research direction. The insights of this study may help to build more resilient communities in the face of increasing flood-related challenges.

Leaky dams have become essential nature-based solutions for flood management, providing sustainable alternatives to traditional engineered flood control methods. This review delves into the mechanisms by which leaky dams operate, including the regulation of water flow through velocity reduction and distribution across floodplains, effective sediment trapping and soil quality enhancement, and the facilitation of groundwater recharge and water table stabilization. These structures not only mitigate peak flood flows and reduce erosion but also contribute to enhanced biodiversity by creating diverse aquatic habitats and maintaining ecological connectivity. The effectiveness of leaky dams is assessed through various performance metrics, demonstrating significant reductions in peak flows, improved sediment management, and increased groundwater levels, which collectively enhance ecosystem resilience and water quality. However, the implementation of leaky dams presents several technical challenges, such as design complexity, hydrological variability, maintenance requirements, and socio-economic factors like land use conflicts and economic viability. Additionally, while leaky dams offer numerous environmental benefits, potential negative impacts include habitat disruption, sediment accumulation, and alterations in water quality, which necessitate careful planning and adaptive management strategies. Emerging trends in leaky dam development focus on the integration of smart technologies, such as real-time monitoring systems and artificial intelligence, to optimize performance and resilience against climate-induced extreme weather events. Advances in modeling and monitoring technologies are facilitating the effective design and implementation of leaky dam networks, promoting their incorporation into comprehensive watershed management frameworks. This review highlights the significant potential of leaky dams as integral components of sustainable flood management systems, advocating for their broader adoption alongside conventional engineering solutions to achieve resilient and ecologically balanced water management.

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to explore how flood management practitioners rationalise the emergence of sustainable flood management. Key to this analysis are differences rooted in assumptions over what flood management is and should do.Design/methodology/approach– The popularity of natural flood management offers a case with which to explore how a dominant framing persists and how individuals at the government-public interface negotiate different visions of future flood management. The authors draw on the perceptions of flood experts, elucidating a deep hold amongst a professional community “grounded” in science and economics, but also their desire to innovate and become more open to innovative practices.Findings– The authors show how the idea of “sustainable” and “natural” flood management are understood by those doing flood management, which is with reference to pre-existing technical practices.Research limitations/implications– This paper explores the views of expert decision making, which suffers from challenges associated with small sample size. As such, the findings must be tempered, but with recognition for the influence of a small group of individuals who determine the nature of flood management in Scotland.Practical implications– The authors conclude that, in the context of this study, a technical framing persists by predetermining the criteria by which innovative techniques are judged.Originality/value– Broadly, these findings contribute to debates over the evolution of flood management regimes. This recognises the importance of events while also emphasising the preparations that shape the context and norms of the flood management community between events.

<p>Hydro-meteorological hazards such as floods have been a long-standing challenge for urban planners. A substantial increase in urbanization has undeniably pressurized the existing drainage network which has increased the flood proneness. The OPERANDUM project (H2020, grant agreement No 776848) has proposed a unique methodology for handling urban flooding by setting up open-air laboratories (OALs). As a pilot study of open-air laboratory Ireland (OAL-IE), an interdisciplinary methodology is adapted. Flood modeling techniques are identified for better flood risk assessment and flood management. Nature-based innovations are proposed to help identify and improve the existing urban drainage systems. The adaptability of nature-based systems and their efficacy as a supplemental tool to better flood management is a predominant and significant question. The awareness of citizens on their experience, challenges, and narratives are an equally reliable parameter to examine whether the spatio-temporal viability of new flood management techniques through nature-based innovations is a promising path for sustainable urban management. The intermittent relationship of flood hazard and the citizen access to infrastructure such as schools, childcare, old age homes, offices, transportation network holds a place of relevancy. The dynamics of “lived experiences” can help urban planners to pull out the traditional and formal strategies to be implemented for better liveability of citizens. Moreover, the willingness of citizens to maintain and share activities for co-deployment as a successful participatory process for innovative nature-based solutions support the social purpose of the OPERANDUM project. This research focuses on understanding the social background, cognitive thinking, and ideology that holds unique opportunities to OAL-IE for potential retrospective interpretation of nature-based innovations. A detailed survey with the stakeholders is aimed to understand their perspective on flooding, to identify how and where nature-based innovations can assist the city council to develop an efficient sustainable flood management system. This information on how citizens perceived and attributed the delivery of nature-based innovation can provide guidelines for developing better flood management and mitigation policies in Dublin.</p>

The occurrence of natural disasters is of growing concern globally due to increasing disruption, damage and loss of life. The rising flood frequency in Lagos, Nigeria, emphasises the need for improved flood prevention and management measures. This study evaluates the impacts of flooding on the residents of Lagos, Nigeria by focusing on five areas: Lekki, Victoria Island, Ikeja, Surulere and Ikorodu. Each area represents a different income level and population density. Flood managers in Lagos were also interviewed to understand the flood management and prevention situation from the government’s perspective, together with the barriers and drivers to effective flood management. Data collected from residents indicate that heavy rainfall, blocked and/or failure of drainage systems, and lack of land use planning were considered the most frequent contributors to the flooding problem. A high proportion of residents live in flood prone areas, having been unaware of the initial flood problem, or selecting the area due to proximity to work or affordability. Government initiated flood awareness campaigns aimed to inform residents. However, some residents continue to live in homes at risk from flooding due to sentimental values, whilst others simply cannot afford to move houses. Results revealed some of the impacts of flooding include displacement, damage to property, and disruption to movement and health issues. The study recommends that residents need to be more aware of proper waste disposal. The government also needs to implement controls on development on flood plain, ensure better and regular waste collection methods, proper maintenance of drainage systems and better flood defences are in place. Also, offering incentives should be in place for residents willing to move to minimise impacts of flooding.