Flood Control Infrastructure Research Articles

Spatiotemporal evolution and influencing factors of flood resilience in Beibu Gulf Urban Agglomeration

In the context of global climate change and rapid urbanization, enhancing flood resilience is essential for mitigating urban flood risk. However, few studies have conducted long-term, cross-scale dynamic evaluations of flood resilience and analyzed its influencing factors and mechanisms. Taking the Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration as the study area, a long-term, cross-scale dynamic evaluation index system based on the “Robustness-Resistance-Recovery” (3Rs) framework were adopted to assess the spatiotemporal evolution of flood resilience from 2000 to 2020. Furthermore, the optimal parameters-based geographical detector model is employed to identify the key influencing factors and mechanisms. The results reveal that pre-flood robustness is lower in coastal areas and higher in inland regions. In the during-flood stage, cities with greater comprehensive power exhibit stronger resistance. Post-flood recovery is higher in city centers and marginal mountainous areas, while coastal and inland low-lying regions show lower recovery. The flood resilience of urban agglomerations has improved in recent years, largely due to the enhancement of urban flood control infrastructure and healthcare capacity. However, disparities between cities persist. From 2000 to 2020, economic factors have been the primary drivers of improved flood resilience, while ecological factors have gained increasing importance over the past decade. These findings provide valuable insights for flood prevention, mitigation, and resilience management in urban agglomerations. The proposed dynamic evaluation index system offers a reference framework for evaluating flood resilience in other regions.

Rainfall in California: Special Reference to 2023 Rains That Caused Floods

After years of crippling drought, California experienced a barrage of intense atmospheric river storms starting from late 2022 and continuing into early 2023 after so many years of extensive drought. This resulted in extensive flooding across the northern and central parts of the state. Major urban centers like San Francisco and Sacramento saw their wettest January on record, with damage to infrastructure and thousands evacuated in flooded areas. Southern California also saw higher than average rainfall. The extensive rainfall provided much-needed relief from the recent drought, helping to replenish reservoirs and groundwater basins, but also causing lot of catastrophic events due to California’s insufficient flood control infrastructure. Decades of underfunding and lack of coordination have left dams, levees, and urban flood control channels unable to handle increased precipitation, putting communities at risk. Historically, California has experienced periodic droughts, where precipitation falls well below average for multiple seasons or years. Significant droughts were observed in the past century such as in the years 1976–1977, 1987–1992, and 2012–2016. The most recent drought from 2012–2022 ranked as one of the most severe and most prolonged droughts on record in California. Although the 2023 storms helped in recovery from drought conditions, California must bolster its flood control systems and water storage capabilities. The state must prepare for a future where climate change drives intense precipitation alongside more intense droughts. Sustainable infrastructure and coordinated management will be vital for withstanding increased hydrological extremes. This article examines the rainfall extremes of 2023 within the context of California’s drought history and makes recommendations for long-term water security to overcome increased climate variability.

Elevating Pakistan’s flood preparedness: a fuzzy multi-criteria decision making approach

In South Asia, Pakistan has a long and deadly history of floods that cause losses to various infrastructures, lives, and industries. This study aims to identify the most appropriate flood risk mitigation strategies that the government of Pakistan should adopt. The assessment of flood risk mitigation strategies in this study is based on certain criteria, which are analyzed using the fuzzy full consistency method. Moreover, flood risk mitigation strategies are evaluated by using the fuzzy weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS) method, considering previously prioritized criteria. According to the results, lack of governance, lack of funding and resources, and lack of flood control infrastructure are the most significant flood intensifying factors and act as major criteria for assessing flood risk mitigation strategies in Pakistan. Adopting hard engineering strategies (e.g., dams, reservoirs, river straightening and dredging, embankments, and flood relief channels), maintaining existing infrastructure, and adopting soft engineering strategies (flood plain zoning, comprehensive flood risk assessment, and sophisticated flood modeling) are identified as the top three flood risk mitigation strategies by the fuzzy WASPAS method. The highest weight (0.98) was assigned to the adoption of hard engineering strategies to mitigate flood risks. The study introduces a novel dimension by analyzing the real-time impact of the unprecedented 2022 floods, during which approximately one-third of the nation was submerged. This focus on a recent and highly significant event enhances the study’s relevance and contributes a unique perspective to the existing literature on flood risk management. The study recommends that the government of Pakistan should prioritize hard engineering strategies for effective flood risk mitigation. It also recommends that the government should incorporate these strategies in the national policy framework to reduce flood losses in the future.

Analysis of the effect of Boezem development as flood control in Dukuh Kupang Surabaya

Background: Flooding is a frequent problem in Dukuh Kupang, Surabaya, causing material losses and disrupting daily activities. The construction of boezems, which are retention ponds to temporarily store rainwater, is considered a potential solution to control flooding in this area. This study aims to analyze the effect of boezem construction on flood control in Dukuh Kupang with the hope of providing new insights into the effectiveness of boezem as flood control infrastructure and providing recommendations for improved flood management strategies in the future. Methods: This study used a descriptive method. Data were collected through questionnaires and scored using a Likert scale. Finding: The results revealed that the feasibility score of boezem construction was 60.2%, indicating that boezem construction is considered quite feasible as a flood control solution, but there is still room for improvement. Conclusion: Respondents in this study recognized the benefits of boezem construction, but also expressed concerns or factors that are not yet fully supportive. There is a negative stigma among the community regarding the construction of boezems, which is largely due to the lack of socialization and community participation in the development process. Novelty/Originality of this study: A study on the effectiveness of booze in Surabaya evaluates technical aspects and considers community perceptions, providing a holistic approach to assessing flood control infrastructure.

Modeling of Future Streamflow Hazards in Interior Alaska River Systems and Implications for Applied Planning

There is a growing need for proactive planning for natural hazards in a changing climate. Computational modeling of climate hazards provides an opportunity to inform planning, particularly in areas approaching ecosystem state changes, such as Interior Alaska, where future hazards are expected to differ significantly from historical events in frequency and severity. This paper considers improved modeling approaches from a physical process perspective and contextualizes the results within the complexities and limitations of hazard planning efforts and management concerns. Therefore, the aim is not only to improve the understanding of potential climate impacts on streamflow within this region but also to further explore the steps needed to evaluate local-scale hazards from global drivers and the potential challenges that may be present. This study used dynamically downscaled climate forcing data from ERA-Interim reanalysis datasets and projected climate scenarios from two General Circulation Models under a single Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP 8.5) to simulate an observational gage-calibrated WRF-Hydro model to assess shifts in streamflow and flooding potential in three Interior Alaska rivers over a historical period (2008–2017) and two future periods (2038–2047 and 2068–2077). Outputs were assessed for seasonality, streamflow, extreme events, and the comparison between existing flood control infrastructure in the region. The results indicate that streamflow in this region is likely to experience increases in seasonal length and baseflow, while the potential for extreme events and variable short-term streamflow behavior is likely to see greater uncertainty, based on the divergence between the models.

Numerical simulation of flow characteristics in nonprismatic compound channels

ABSTRACT The assessment of the flow characteristics of river systems is a very intricate undertaking in the development of hydraulic models for the purposes of flood control and floodplain management. Therefore, it is essential to use simulation models in order to calibrate and verify the experimental results. In this study, the Hydrologic Engineering Centre's – River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) is used to calibrate and validate the distribution of velocity and shear stress for different converging compound channels. Two separate flow regimes were assessed for validation based on experimental data obtained from converging compound channels with angles of θ = 5°, 9°, and 12.38°. The projected values for two relative depths (β = 0.15 and 0.20) exhibit a similar pattern of variation as the empirical observations and are marginally lower than the recorded values. This suggests that the HEC-RAS model accurately estimates the velocity and shear stress values. The disparity between the simulated and experimental outcomes shows a discrepancy of less than 10%. Hence, the implications of our results suggest that while dealing with nonprismatic rivers, it is advisable to take into account lower values. The used methodology and the outcomes focused on problem-solving might potentially inform the development of flood control infrastructure for nonprismatic watercourses.

Infrastructure of Vulnerability, or, How the Fraser Valley Flooded Twice

AbstractIn November and December of 2021, the Fraser Valley in southwest British Columbia suffered extreme flooding due to an atmospheric river. Although the event was attributed to climate change, I suggest that the recent floods must be understood through the historical geography of flood control infrastructure in the valley, particularly dikes. In this article, I trace the development of these infrastructures from the beginning of colonisation to the completion of the first state‐managed diking system in the early 20th century. I argue that at the same time as dikes secured land for settler farmers, they exposed Indigenous peoples to new hazards—ironically including floods—and multiplied the damage of future flood events. Building on geographic literature demonstrating the participation of dike infrastructure in racialised capital accumulation and settler colonialism, I highlight the way that dikes have abetted these projects through the uneven spatial production of vulnerability.

Environmental Surveillance of Flood Control Infrastructure Impacted by Unsheltered Individuals Leads to the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 and Novel Mutations in the Spike Gene

Environmental Surveillance of Flood Control Infrastructure Impacted by Unsheltered Individuals Leads to the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 and Novel Mutations in the Spike Gene

Daily Simulation of the Rainfall–Runoff Relationship in the Sirba River Basin in West Africa: Insights from the HEC-HMS Model

This study focuses on the Sirba River Basin (SRB), a transboundary West African catchment of 38,950 km2 shared by Burkina Faso and Niger, which contributes to flooding downstream in Niamey (Niger). The study uses the HEC-HMS hydrological model to explore the dynamics of the daily rainfall–runoff relationship over the period 2006–2020. The model is calibrated using observed rainfall at 13 meteorological stations within the river basin and observed discharges at the Garbey Kourou hydrometric station outlet. Two types of simulation are compared: (i) a continuous simulation (CS) over the period 2006–2020 and (ii) an event-based simulation (ES) using selected major flood events in 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2020. The results showed satisfactory model performance under both modeling schemes (R2 = 0.84–0.87 for CS and R2 = 0.94–0.98 for ES), with a superior performance of ES over CS. Also, significant differences in the distribution of calibrated model parameters for the percent impervious and the attenuation flood wave factor were observed. A sensitivity analysis revealed that the curve number, initial abstraction, lag time and routing time factors were influential on the model outputs. The study therefore underscores the model’s robustness and contributes crucial insights for flood control management and infrastructure planning in the SRB.

Integrating Natural and Social Sciences for Urban Resilience and Sustainability

Because of the differences in lifestyles, livelihoods, ecological conditions, natural environment, and social environment, etc., between urban areas and rural areas, the priorities for resilience and sustainability will also be different. Due to climate change, the economy under various conditions of development and cultural changes, urban areas or urbanized villages must face issues such as sustainability maintenance and resilience adjustment will be much more sensitive and with higher uncertainties. In fact, there are similarities and differences between sustainability and resilience, therefore, the response methods adopted to deal with issues such as the natural environment and social organizations will also vary depending on factors such as urgency and time competition, sometimes the two are positively correlated, sometimes they are negatively correlated, and sometimes they may be morphologically unrelated, therefore, some innovations will be necessary to be considered, and which will also be discussed in this article. Two applications are presented for the sustainability and resilience on urban area are expressed to show the applicability and the relationships between sustainability and resilience. The twins, sustainability and resilience, may initially proceed in opposite directions (negative correlation) on the timeline of plan execution.
 Two applications on “The Catchment Management with Flood Control Infrastructure” and “The COVID-19 on the Management of Sustainability and Resilience in Taiwan” are presented for the sustainability and resilience on urban area are expressed to show the applicability and the relationships between sustainability and resilience.
 During the execution process, there will be a period when the two pairs develop independently, but in the end, they will proceed in the same direction (positive correlation). This is something worthy of our attention.

Analysis of Compound Flooding in the Cakung Drain Area, DKI Jakarta Province

Cakung Drain is an artificial river located downstream of the Cakung and Buaran Rivers, established as part of Jakarta's flood control infrastructure. Administratively, the upper section of Cakung Drain is located in East Jakarta, while the lower section is in North Jakarta. The current capacity of Cakung Drain is insufficient to handle the flow during flood conditions, leading to persistent flooding in the area. Flood conditions downstream of Cakung Drain are exacerbated by the potential for Compound Flood, resulting from the simultaneous occurrence of two extreme conditions. Various initiatives to manage floods have been implemented in the Cakung Drain area. This study aims to evaluate the flood risk in the Cakung Drain area before and after the implementation of flood management structures, considering the impact of discharge and tidal conditions downstream influenced by waves and storm surges. Flood modelling is executed using HECRAS software employing both 1D and 2D approaches. The study's findings reveal that the flooded area under existing conditions spans 7.065 km2. Under design conditions, flooding persists with an area of 4.15 km², attributed to flood overflow in downstream areas where embankments have not been constructed.

Chlorophyll‐a variation in response to precipitation in a tropical urban lake

AbstractWith increasing urbanization, urban lakes are becoming more common and serve as important flood control infrastructure, recreational uses, as well as habitat for a variety of biota. However, given their construction, function and location, urban lakes are susceptible to disturbances including stormwater runoff from metropolitan catchment areas. For example, nutrient loading from stormwater runoff can cause eutrophication. Chlorophyll‐a concentration is an important water quality parameter because it is used to assess water quality and determine trophic state. Chlorophyll‐a is known to be impacted by a number of environmental factors including precipitation and associated runoff. Previous studies indicate that the relationship between precipitation and chlorophyll‐a is complex and often site‐specific. In this study, we examined the relationship between chlorophyll‐a and precipitation in an urban, tropical lake located in East Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. From October through December 2022, chlorophyll‐a, turbidity, phosphate (PO4), pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, total dissolved solids and conductivity were measured at five sampling sites in Air Hitam Lake, and precipitation was measured adjacent to the lake. These data indicated that chlorophyll‐a concentrations were negatively correlated with recent precipitation (r2 = .71, p < .05). This relationship was likely a result of dilution from increased lake volume. Although urban runoff is expected to increase nutrient loading, our monitoring indicated that dilution can mediate this process in the short‐term. Our findings suggest that timing matters when monitoring water quality in tropical, urban lakes. Sampling immediately following heavy precipitation and stormwater runoff can lead to an underestimation of normal chlorophyll‐a concentrations due to dilution. As a result, dilution effects should be examined when studying and managing urban lentic ecosystems with strong precipitation dynamics. Further studies are necessary to better understand these urban aquatic ecosystems to continue to improve future management efforts.

Study on the Impact of Land Use Changes Caused by IKN Development on Sanggai River Flood Discharge

In 2019, President Joko Widodo implemented a political policy to relocate the capital of the Republic of Indonesia from DKI Jakarta to Penajam Paser Utara Regency and Kutai Kartanegara Regency. Construction has commenced and will be executed in several stages until 2045. The primary development stage will concentrate on the Central Government Core Area (KIPP). The relocation of the National Capital poses several potential problems, one being the risk of inundation and flooding. The government aims to minimize this risk by creating green areas covering up to 70% of the total area of IKN. Additionally, the government is constructing flood control infrastructure, including retention ponds, check dams, bottom controllers, and other structures. One of the rivers that flows through KIPP is the Sanggai River, covering a catchment area of 19.3 km2 with a river length of 9.8 km. This research will discuss the impact of IKN development on the Sanggai River Catchment Area, focusing on proposed changes in land use and alterations in flood discharge within this river. Furthermore, the study will investigate the influence of constructing flood control buildings (retention ponds and bottom controllers) using modeling on HEC-RAS. The objective of this research is to assess the effectiveness of flood control structures and estimate the potential for flood inundation.

“There Are Lives Here”

Abstract The Bonnet Carré Spillway, a mile-long concrete and wood weir in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana, is embedded in a landscape of flood control infrastructure and an institutionally repressed history of the Black communities displaced for its construction from 1929 to 1931. Two cemeteries of enslaved and formerly enslaved people were plowed under and then resurfaced decades later, prompting a movement for commemoration led by descendants. Through histories of both the spillway structure and that of enslaved and formerly enslaved communities, this article examines a growing movement for commemoration that challenges and dismantles the political infrastructure generated by and for the preservation of physical infrastructure.

Flood risk cascade analysis and vulnerability assessment of watershed based on Bayesian network

Under the dual impact of climate change and accelerated urbanization, urban flood disasters are frequent, resulting in severe losses, and there has been widespread concern. Through constructing the topological structure of flood control network and collecting the hydrological information from hydrological stations, this study proposes a Bayesian flood network model of Haihe river basin (Beisanhe and Yongdinghe river basin) to assess the flood risk. Flood Probability (FP) and Flood Network Cascade (flood network cascade) are proposed to characterize the vulnerability and flood cascade of flood control networks respectively. The accuracy of the flood cascade simulation of the Beisanhe river basin exceeds 80%, and the accuracy of the Yongdinghe river basin exceeds 85%. It is proved that the Bayesian network model proposed in this study has good simulation performance. The derived vulnerability assessment indicates that the central and southern regions of the Beisanhe River and Yongdinghe River basin are easily affected by floods at other nodes. The proposed Bayesian network modeling framework can also simulate the flood cascade in flood control infrastructure, so it can be used for scenario planning and real-time flood forecasting to provide information for flood management and operation.

THE IMPACT OF EXTREME WATER LEVELS ON TORONTO ISLAND PARK AND INCREASING RESILIENCE AGAINST FUTURE FLOOD EVENTS

Toronto Island Park is a chain of fifteen low-lying islands in Lake Ontario located just south of the Toronto shoreline in Ontario, Canada. The Park serves as a popular year-round urban attraction of significant economic importance, and showcases unique natural features, cultural heritage, and sensitive ecosystems. The Park is home to Billy Bishop Airport, Centreville Amusement Park, numerous small businesses, and over 250 residential homes. In recent years, the Toronto Islands have suffered significant physical and economic impacts due to flooding caused by extreme wet weather and record high water levels on Lake Ontario. In 2021, Baird was retained by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) to develop long-term flood and erosion mitigation concept alternatives to replace temporary and emergency measures and to increase the functionality and resilience of the flood control infrastructure on the islands. This abstract outlines the various concept alternatives that were considered, the public engagement process and resulting preferred concepts for flood mitigation.

Assessment of flood in Nandigama, Andhra Pradesh, using hydrological and hydraulic models

AbstractThe rapid and frequent mapping of flood areas is crucial for monitoring and mitigating flood disasters. This study aimed to devise a flood inundation map for Nandigama City, located in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. To analyze flood inundation, the HEC‐HMS hydrologic model was used to assess the effects of land‐use changes on runoff. The analysis of land use and land cover (LULC) revealed a significant increase in urban expansion around the study area over the last 30 years. The rise in urbanization and impervious surfaces has led to an 11.85% increase in the average peak discharge, from 4.39 m3/s in 2000 to 4.91 m3/s in 2020. These findings can provide significant insights for urban policymakers in the planning and management of flood control infrastructure in Nandigama.

Evaluating the Effect of Deforestation on Decadal Runoffs in Malaysia Using the Revised Curve Number Rainfall Runoff Approach

This study presents a revised and calibrated Soil Conservation Service (SCS) curve number (CN) rainfall runoff model for predicting runoff in Malaysia using a new power correlation Ia = SL, where L represents the initial abstraction coefficient ratio. The traditional SCS-CN model with the proposed relation Ia = 0.2S is found to be unreliable, and the revised model exhibits improved accuracy. The study emphasizes the need to design flood control infrastructure based on the maximum estimated runoff amount to avoid underestimation of the runoff volume. If the flood control infrastructure is designed based on the optimum CN0.2 values, it could lead to an underestimation of the runoff volume of 50,100 m3 per 1 km2 catchment area in Malaysia. The forest areas reduced by 25% in Peninsular Malaysia from the 1970s to the 1990s and 9% in East Malaysia from the 1980s to the 2010s, which was accompanied by an increase in decadal runoff difference, with the most significant rises of 108% in Peninsular Malaysia from the 1970s to the 1990s and 32% in East Malaysia from the 1980s to the 2010s. This study recommends taking land use changes into account during flood prevention planning to effectively address flood issues. Overall, the findings of this study have significant implications for flood prevention and land use management in Malaysia. The revised model presents a viable alternative to the conventional SCS-CN model, with a focus on estimating the maximum runoff amount and accounting for land use alterations in flood prevention planning. This approach has the potential to enhance flood management in the region.

Analisis Debit Banjir Rencana Daerah Tangkapan Air Waduk Tugu Menggunakan HEC-HMS

Over the course construction of Tugu Reservoir, it is proposed to build a spillway gate to increase its performance as a flood control infrastructure. The construction planning of spillway gate requires a calculation of design flood discharge for Tugu Reservoir Catchment Area. The latest calculation was carried out during its construction planning in 2010. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate and recalculate the design flood discharge using the latest data. This study aims to model design flood discharge of Tugu Reservoir Catchment Area using HEC-HMS software. This software is able to simulate rainfall-runoff modeling in a catchment area. Based on field conditions, Tugu Reservoir catchment has parameters, curve number value of 79, impervious value of 5%, and a lag time of 4.81 minutes. The result of the HEC-HMS modeling shows that the design flood discharge of Tugu Reservoir for Q100 is 369,30 m3/s; Q1000 is 656,70 m3/s; and QPMF is 995.30 m3/s. Based on the test using Creager Graph, the design flood discharge for Tugu Reservoir is still in the reasonable category with C value below 100. The result of the HEC-HMS modeling is not much different from the calculation result of Tugu Reservoir Construction Planning in 2010.

Climate related changes to flood regimes show an increasing rainfall influence

Climate change can result in changes to floods and flood regimes, but the relationship between floods and climate change is complex and poorly understood. The flood regime influences the nature, severity, and timing of flood events for any watershed. Flood regimes should be viewed as a continuum with completely nival (snowmelt-driven) watersheds at one end of the continuum and purely pluvial (rainfall-driven) watersheds at the other. Flood regimes are important for the operation of flood defenses and to better understand how changes in the flood regime can affect the magnitude of flood events. Data from 46 long term streamflow gauging stations from reference hydrologic networks (RHNs) in Canada (23) and the US (23), are examined to detect changes that have occurred, or are continuing to occur, in flood regimes from watersheds responding only to climate variations and changes. Peaks over Threshold (POT) flood events are used to investigate changes in the timing of flood events. Seasonality measures, using circular statistics, illustrate changes in the nature of the flood regime based on changes in the timing and regularity of flood threshold exceedences. A nival fraction is determined for each watershed and for each year based on a clustering of the flood events into two groups, representing nival and pluvial events. Changes to the flood regime over time, and based on annual temperature, are determined from logistic regression of the number of nival and pluvial events for each year. While strongly nival watersheds show no changes, roughly 15% of the stations exhibit significant changes that represent shifts towards the pluvial end of the flood regime continuum, which has implications for design flood estimation and the operation of flood control infrastructure.