Urban policy adaptation toward managing increasing pluvial flooding events under climate change

Abstract

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall events. In urban areas, these cloudbursts cause localized flooding and disrupt urban life. However, there is no universal method for urban rainfall adaptation. Here, we demonstrate that while six developed cities; New York City, Vancouver, Sydney, Auckland, Copenhagen and Amsterdam, each present a different management approach toward cloudburst events, these six cities also use a mixture of five common policy alternatives to manage stormwater runoff. Thus, while individual cities might pursue different management approaches toward pluvial flooding, the repetition of the policy alternatives across these six cities indicates the foundation of a global consensus toward the policy adaptation techniques available. As climate change continues to impact our urban environments, it is important to identify and understand policy tools for effective adaptation, ensuring knowledge can be transferred across all cities facing an unpredictable future.