#floodrisk — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #floodrisk, aggregated by home.social.
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The Portrait of Flood Risk in Italy - Past, Present and Future, From 1870 to 2100
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https://doi.org/10.1029/2026GL122987 <-- shared paper
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“ABSTRACT: Among European countries, Italy ranks as one of the most susceptible to flood risk. While this figure is already substantial, climate change and rapid urbanization in flood-prone areas have been identified as the two main drivers expected to elevate the number of individuals at risk. This study offers a comprehensive assessment of these two drivers of flood risk in Italy over 230 years, from 1870 to 2100, focusing on how they interact to increase risk. Using the large-scale flood risk model RESCUE-FR, [the authors] analyze[d] the population at risk under the 200-year return period scenario to provide a targeted assessment of population risk, how it has evolved in the past, and its projection in the future. [Their] findings indicate that while historical flood risk in Italy has primarily been influenced by population growth and migration into at-risk areas, future projections suggest that climate change will become the dominant driver of flood risk.
PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Italy is one of the European countries most at risk of flooding. This study examines the impact of two risk factors on flood risk in Italy over the long term, from 1870 to 2100: climate change and the evolution of population in areas prone to flooding. Using a large-scale flood risk model, [they] simulated different scenarios for different time periods, such as with and without climate change, to estimate how each factor contributes to the number of people exposed to floods in the past and future. [Their] results show that population growth and migration into flood-prone areas were the main reasons for the increased risk in the past. In the future, however, climate change is likely to become the dominant factor, putting more people at risk. Understanding how these factors interact can help communities to plan more effectively for floods and reduce the number of people affected…”
#flood #flooding #risk #hazard #Italy #Europe #national #history #historic #cost #damage #infrastructure #floodrisk #population #urbanisation #development #climatechange #extremeweather #dominantfactor #floodprone #national #regional #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #model #RESCUEFR #modeling #factors #parameters #drivers #publicsafety -
Busy Beavers - The Turbidity Signature Of Ecosystem Engineers At Work
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https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70661 <-- shared paper
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H/T @alan Puttock
“Beavers are the quintessential ecosystem engineers. In slow-flowing streams, they create complex wetlands with ponds by building dams and canals that can positively impact biodiversity, hydrology and water quality. These activities can interchangeably capture or release sediment along the watercourse. To date this has not been quantified at the resolution of rainfall events or beaver activity. This study used 15-min frequency, sustained monitoring upstream and downstream of a newly establishing beaver wetland to measure episodic changes in water turbidity at an event resolution. Monitoring showed no significant differences between upstream and downstream turbidity over 160 days when the first pair of beavers, known not to be building dams or canals, were resident. Shortly after introduction of another beaver pair, however, dam building, burrows and canal excavations were quickly observed, resulting in the creation of a complex beaver wetland between 2021 and 2024. Monitoring over 375 days during this period showed significant differences. Downstream turbidity was significantly higher overall than upstream: 13.1 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) compared to 4.2 NTU. Stochastic spikes in downstream turbidity during the study period not recorded upstream were associated with dam building and burrowing. Overall, there was no significant difference in turbidity loads, which was at least partially explained by a reduction in discharge downstream, particularly in higher flows, during the dam building period. This demonstrates a complex system with the trapping of influent sediment, the storing of water and the periodic release of beaver wetland sediment leading to net balance in loads. These results help provide context for other studies which have used temporally discrete sampling campaigns rather than continuous high-frequency monitoring. They provide a unique insight into the downstream impacts of a rapidly developing beaver wetland over its first three and a half years in a landscape that hasn't had beavers for over 400 years…"
#hydromorphic #water #hydrology #dam #beaverdam #waterquality #biodiversity #ecology #benefits #NatureBasedSolutions #Wetlands #Ecology #Biodiversity #EnvironmentalScience #Wildlife #Ecosystem #bioviversity #conservation #restoration #landscaperecovery #floodmanagement #FloodMitigation #flooding #energy #floodrisk #sustainability #wetlands #hydrography #dams #impoundment #deadwood #waterresources #landscapeengineer #benefits #vegetation #ecology #ecosystem #riversystemsstabilisation #naturalwaterregulation #resilience #valleysreborn #fisheries #invertebrates #extremeweather #floodflows #sediment #baseflow #drought #landmanagement #naturalsystems #landuse #monitoring #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal -
#WaterburyCT receives $339K DEEP grant for #RisdonDam removal project
By Dalton Zbierski, 7/4/2026
"A vision in Waterbury is en route to becoming reality, as the city received a grant from the state this week to help kickstart the Risdon #DamRemoval Project on South Main Street.
"The $339,000 Long Island Sound Ecosystems Grant from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will fund an important early stage of the project to remove the aging Risdon Dam.
"The grant will cover the environmental investigation, engineering design and permitting required for the removal of the dam, which is located behind the former factory at 2100 South Main St.
"A release this week from the city announced the award from DEEP and explained the purpose of the project.
"Removing the dam will restore the natural flow of #HopevillePondBrook, a tributary of the #NaugatuckRiver within the #LongIslandSound #watershed.
"The project aims to improve #AquaticHabitat, reconnect #StreamCorridors, reduce #FloodRisk and eliminate a deteriorating structure that poses safety risks for nearby properties and infrastructure, according to city officials.
"It will take approximately one year to complete the planning, design and permitting phase. Then, the construction will move on to bidding.
"On Wednesday, Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski, Jr. said the grant represents another significant investment in the city’s infrastructure and #EnvironmentalStewardship.
" 'Removing the Risdon Dam will improve the health of Hopeville Pond Brook, reduce flood risks and help restore a more resilient #ecosystem for #FutureGenerations,' Pernerewski said.
"The mayor also thanked #DEEP for its support and collaboration in helping the project move forward.
"DEEP Commissioner #KatieDykes, who will be leaving her position this month, said the project marks the state’s commitment to protecting and ensuring the health and perseverance of its waterways and the Long Island Sound Watershed.
" 'Supporting the planning, engineering and design needed to move this project toward construction will help advance future improvements to #StreamConnectivity, aquatic habitat and #FloodResilience,' Dykes said.
"The funding was made available to DEEP through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Long Island Sound Partnership National Estuary Program."
#SolarPunkSunday #RestoreFloodplains #BuildingForResiliency #FloodplainReclamation #Connecticut #DamRemoval #Floodplain #Watersheds #RiverRestoration
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New study finds clear‑cut logging can dramatically increase flood risk
#FloodRisk #ClearCutLogging #Forestry #ClimateChange #Floods #BritishColumbia #Environment #Watersheds #Sustainability #Nature #Flooding #Canada #PublicSafety
#Deforestation #Logging
https://the-14.com/new-study-finds-clear-cut-logging-can-dramatically-increase-flood-risk/ -
Advancing Detailed Flood Hazard Identification in Alberta, Canada - Insights from Two Recent Flood Studies
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https://doi.org/10.3390/w18131592 <-- shared paper
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“The increasing frequency of floods and the severity of their consequences for public safety, infrastructure, and the economy demand improved methods for flood hazard identification. Flood studies that include flood hazard mapping are critical tools for informing emergency response and flood recovery, as well as for land use and mitigation planning. The methodology for such flood studies has evolved, and access to more powerful computational resources and high-resolution base data has contributed to the increased use of two-dimensional hydraulic modelling, where one-dimensional modelling previously was the default. However, local-scale flood studies face real-world constraints, including sparse data, challenging hydrologic conditions, and budget limitations, which can hinder the application of advanced techniques. This study addresses these challenges through innovative, practice-driven solutions in two case studies in Alberta, Canada: a small, partly channelised prairie stream network (Wolf Creek, Lacombe) and a laterally dynamic river on a distributary delta (Swan River, Kinuso). Three core components of flood hazard studies are described: field survey data collection, regional hydrology assessment, and hydraulic modelling. Key findings include demonstrating that LiDAR-derived terrain models alone cannot capture channel conveyance, the importance of low-flow calibration in the absence of high-water marks, the selection of a modelling methodology based on bathymetric and topographic features within a study area, and the development of inflow hydrographs for unsteady-state simulation in flat floodplains…”
#FloodMapping #FloodRisk #Hydrology #HydraulicModeling #HECRAS #WaterResources #Alberta #Resilience #RiverSurvey #spatialanlaysis #spatiotemporal #floodhazardmapping #HECRAS #model #modeling #remotesensing #LiDAR #bathymetry #floodfrequencyanalysis #unsteadysimulation #FHIMP #FHIP #WoldCreek #Lacombe #SwanRiver #Kinuso #Alberta #Canada #localscale #provincialfloodstudy # prairie #stream #river #flood #flooding #water #hydrology #risk #hazard #watershed #publicsafety #cost #damage #economics #infrastructure #use #practicedriven #floodhazard #survey #hydraulic #terrainmodels #hydrogeomorphology #topography #elevation #floodplain
@Alberta Environment and Protected Areas | @Government of Alberta | @Barr Engineering -
Draft Update To The Climate Change Considerations Chapter In Australian Rainfall And Runoff - A Guide To Flood Estimation [Australia]
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https://consult.dcceew.gov.au/draft-updates-to-the-climate-change-considerations-chapter-in-arrg <-- shared technical article
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[especially pertinent with Northern Queensland’s recent and indeed ongoing flooding after some ‘extreme weather’]
#GIS #spatial #mapping #model #modeling #Australia #climatechange #extremeweather #flood #flooding #loss #damage #risk #hazard #mitigation #prediction #ARR #rainfall #precipitation #engineering #floodrisk #floodprotection #floodmitigation #floodprevention #runoff #floodestimation #planning #engineers #policy #engineersaustralia #DCCEEW #economics #economy #cleanup #cost