The phenomena of urbanization and climate change interact with the growing number of older people living in cities. One of the effects of climate change is an increased riverine flooding hazard, and when floods occur this has a severe impact on human lives and comes with vast economic losses. Flood resilience management procedures should be supported by a combination of complex social and environmental vulnerability assessments. Therefore, new methodologies and tools should be developed for this purpose. One way to achieve such inclusive procedures is by incorporating a social vulnerability evaluation methodology for environmental and flood resilience assessment. These are illustrated for application in the Polish city of Wrocław. Socio-environmental vulnerability mapping, based on spatial analyses using the poverty risk index, data on the ageing population, as well as the distribution of the areas vulnerable to floods, was conducted with use of a location intelligence system combining Geographic Information System (GIS) and Business Intelligence (BI) tools. The new methodology allows for the identification of areas populated by social groups that are particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of flooding. C 2018 SETAC Original Publication: Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:592–597. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ieam.4077
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Bergen city centre is prone to both subsidence and flooding. With a predicted increase in precipitation due to climate change, a higher proportion of rainfall becomes surface runoff, which results in increased peak flood discharges. In addition, it has been predicted that sea-level rise and increasing storm surges will result in coastal flooding. In this study, the dual hazards of flooding and subsidence are analysed to exemplify possible risk assessment maps for areas most prone to the combination of both. Risk assessment maps are a support tool to identify areas where mitigation of subsidence and adaptation for surface water management will be most efficient and measures can be implemented. The results show that dual hazard assessment, like that described in this paper, can be a useful tool for decision-makers when prioritizing areas to implement measures such as Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems.
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Managed realignment is the landward relocation of flood infrastructure to re-establish tidal exchange on formerly reclaimed land. Managed realignment can be seen as a nature-based flood defence system that combines flood protection by the realigned dike (artificial) and restored saltmarshes (nature-based). So far, research on coastal managed realignment is primarily directed to saltmarsh restoration on formerly reclaimed land. This study focuses on the realigned dikes. The aim of this research is to characterize realigned dikes and to indicate the characteristics that offer opportunities for nature-based flood protection. We categorized 90 European coastal managed realignment projects into two realigned dike groups: (1) Newly built landward dikes and (2) Existing landward dikes of former multiple dike systems. The second group has two subcategories: (2a) Former hinterland dikes and (2b) Realignments within summer polders. For each group we present the realigned dike characteristics of a representative case study. We consider that the use of existing landward dikes or local construction material make realignment more sustainable. From a nature-based flood protection perspective, the presence of an artificial dike is ambiguous. Our results show that targeted and expected saltmarsh restoration at managed realignment does not necessarily result in a greener realigned dike design that suits for combined flood protection with restored saltmarshes. We recommend coastal managers to explicitly take combined flood protection into account in the realigned dike design and steer the topography of the realignment site to facilitate nature-based flood protection and promote surface elevation increase seaward of the realigned dike in response to sea level rise. This makes managed realignment a nature-based flood defence zone for now and for the future.
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‘Dieren in de dijk’ aims to address the issue of animal burrows in earthen levees, which compromise the integrity of flood protection systems in low-lying areas. Earthen levees attract animals that dig tunnels and cause damages, yet there is limited scientific knowledge on the extent of the problem and effective approaches to mitigate the risk. Recent experimental research has demonstrated the severe impact of animal burrows on levee safety, raising concerns among levee management authorities. The consortium's ambition is to provide levee managers with validated action perspectives for managing animal burrows, transitioning from a reactive to a proactive risk-based management approach. The objectives of the project include improving failure probability estimation in levee sections with animal burrows and enhancing risk mitigation capacity. This involves understanding animal behavior and failure processes, reviewing existing and testing new deterrence, detection, and monitoring approaches, and offering action perspectives for levee managers. Results will be integrated into an open-access wiki-platform for guidance of professionals and in education of the next generation. The project's methodology involves focus groups to review the state-of-the-art and set the scene for subsequent steps, fact-finding fieldwork to develop and evaluate risk reduction measures, modeling failure processes, and processing diverse quantitative and qualitative data. Progress workshops and collaboration with stakeholders will ensure relevant and supported solutions. By addressing the knowledge gaps and providing practical guidance, the project aims to enable levee managers to effectively manage animal burrows in levees, both during routine maintenance and high-water emergencies. With the increasing frequency of high river discharges and storm surges due to climate change, early detection and repair of animal burrows become even more crucial. The project's outcomes will contribute to a long-term vision of proactive risk-based management for levees, safeguarding the Netherlands and Belgium against flood risks.
Er wordt continu ‘reuzenarbeid’ verricht in het rivierengebied in het teken van hoogwaterbescherming, vaarwegbeheer, natuurontwikkeling en delfstoffenwinning. Bij veel van deze rivierprojecten maakt grondverzet het grootste deel uit. Het is onder andere bepalend voor de kosten, de CO2-footprint en de omgevingshinder van dergelijke projecten, en de ruimtelijke kwaliteit van het rivierlandschap. Slim omgaan met grond is daarom een sleutelfactor van duurzaam rivierbeheer. Het onderwerp heeft daarom een prominente plek in verschillende kennis- en innovatieagenda’s, zoals de KIA Landbouw, Voedsel en Water, de KIA Circulaire Economie, en de KIA van het Hoogwaterbeschermingsprogramma. Deze articuleren een behoefte aan praktijkgericht onderzoek dat bijdraagt aan verduurzaming en kostenreductie van grondverzet, zodat grondverzet in 2030 energieneutraal is, de kosten per m3 tussen 2020 en 2030 aanzienlijk gedaald zijn en dat er in 2030 een gezonde slibeconomie is voor circulair materiaalgebruik. Desondanks moet er nog heel wat water door de Rijn voordat bovenstaande ambities in de praktijk kunnen worden gehaald. Het doel van dit project is om praktische inzichten en tools voor duurzaam grondmanagement in riviergebieden te ontwikkelen. Een consortium van 22 partijen (publiek, privaat, kennis) zal onder leiding van HAN lectoraat Sustainable River Management praktijkgericht onderzoek doen ter ondersteuning van technisch managers, ontwerpers, risicomanagers, projectmanagers en beheerders van dijken en uiterwaarden. Door middel van o.a. materiaalonderzoek, ontwerpend onderzoek en evaluaties worden praktische handvatten ontwikkeld voor realisatiestrategieën voor grondstoffenwinning volgens het DNA van de rivier, en het bruikbaar maken van sediment en gebiedseigen grond voor toepassing in de dijkenbouw. Bovendien worden verbeterde werkwijzen en tools ontwikkeld voor het op riviertakniveau afstemmen van vraag en aanbod van delfstoffen in natuur- en dijkversterkingsprojecten in het rivierengebied. Hiermee levert het project een concrete bijdrage aan de invulling van het Grondstoffenakkoord en het Rijksprogramma ‘Nederland Circulair in 2050’.
