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Article
Publication date: 15 November 2018

Buddhi Wahalathantri, Weena Lokuge, Warna Karunasena and Sujeeva Setunge

The 2011 and 2013 Queensland, Australia flood events caused massive infrastructure damage for low-level stream crossings such as floodways and culverts in regional Queensland…

Abstract

Purpose

The 2011 and 2013 Queensland, Australia flood events caused massive infrastructure damage for low-level stream crossings such as floodways and culverts in regional Queensland. Failures of newly built floodways during the 2013 Queensland flood event in the Lockyer Valley Regional Council area raised significant concerns with respect to floodway design practices adopted in Australia and attracted significant research interest to enhance the resilience of floodways. Review of existing floodway design guidelines indicates that floodway design process is closely related to hydraulic and hydrological aspects. However, conducting a hydrological analysis is a challenging in rural areas, mainly owing to information scarcity. Floodways in rural areas often require a simple and economical solution contrast to more detailed hydrological analysis approaches adopted in urbanised areas. This paper aims to identify and apply the rational method to estimate maximum flood discharges at selected floodway locations in the Lockyer Valley Regional Council area. The paper further attempts to provide the first insight of flood characteristics during the 2011 and 2013 Queensland flood events at three catchment outputs across the selected case study area. It also highlights modern day challenges for practising engineers and researchers when estimating flood characteristics in rural areas. The paper shows that cross-cultivation of advancement in engineering practices and traditional approaches can promote quantitative approaches when assessing floodway damage in regional areas.

Design/methodology/approach

The research identifies limitations when assessing flood impact in rural regions in collaboration with experience from industry partners and authors themselves. The authors developed a framework to overcome those limitations arising from information scarcity to minimise the trial and error design approaches utilised in the current design practices for floodways.

Findings

This paper developed a simple and effective hydrological method with minimum inputs. It also provides an example on collating available but scattered resources and traditional method to quantitatively assess flood discharges of a rural catchment in Australia. Flood discharges at three catchment outlets along the Left-Hand Branch Road in the Lockyer Valley Region during both 2011 and 2013 Queensland flood events are estimated for the first time. The findings highlight the impact of flood discharges and flooded period on floodway failures.

Research limitations/implications

The current research is based on a selected case study area in Australia. However, similar challenges are expected all across the world, due to the scarcity of rainfall and flood measurement gauges.

Practical implications

Floodway designers can apply similar framework to estimate the flood discharges instead of current practice of trial and error process. This will provide more scientific and reliable estimation and assessment process.

Social implications

One of the social impacts identified in the broader research is the community outrages and disagreement between floodway design engineers and the community. Following the developed framework in the manuscript, design engineers will be able to justify their assumptions and design work.

Originality/value

The paper presents a novel framework on collating different and scattered information towards estimating flood discharges in rural areas. The manuscript presents the first insights on estimated flood discharges in the selected case study area during the 2011 and 2013 Queensland flood events. This will enable further research to be performed in a quantitative manner rather than the present approach of qualitative manner.

Details

International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, vol. 9 no. 4/5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-5908

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 August 2023

Nyonho Oh and Kevin Nooree Kim

The survivorship of firms under extreme weather poses an essential question about the local economy's health. Over 90% of agricultural banks are categorized as community banks…

Abstract

Purpose

The survivorship of firms under extreme weather poses an essential question about the local economy's health. Over 90% of agricultural banks are categorized as community banks, which are important financial institutions promoting local growth. While previous studies suggest that climate change and weather shocks adversely impact community banks' resiliency, studies on whether these institutions engage in risk-reducing management strategies have been limited. In this study, the authors examine strategic choices of local community banks when facing flood events which include (1) safety net increase, (2) portfolio diversification, and (3) branch opening. These strategic choices are the coping mechanisms banks can take to survive while affecting the local competitive lending market.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use panel-fixed effect regressions based on the storm data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s National Weather Service (NWS) and the call reports from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). The authors focus on community banks' account variable characteristics and the number of offices to examine whether community banks take an active role in managing flood risk.

Findings

Results suggest that community banks do employ the selected strategic choices to a certain degree, as it is found that there is an increase in the core capital that absorbs shocks and portfolio diversification. However, the magnitudes of these activities are rather small and not large enough to fully mitigate the climate risk. Also, the authors do not find any evidence of branch expansion associated with local floods.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by examining different strategic choices of community banks in the face of natural uncertainty. Even though concerns of climate risk have been raised in the regulatory setting, a lack of guidance or assessment tools could contribute to the passive action of these community banks, even though climate risks can have a significant economic impact. Thus, the evidence documented from this study calls for further guidelines and the importance of highlighting climate risks on community banks so that they can actively engage in risk-reducing strategies.

Details

Agricultural Finance Review, vol. 83 no. 4/5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0002-1466

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 November 2021

Intan Hapsari Surya Putri, Imam Buchori and Wiwandari Handayani

This study aims to prove that land-use change plays a role in the occurrence of hydro-meteorological disasters in Central Java, especially in relation to its upstream and…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to prove that land-use change plays a role in the occurrence of hydro-meteorological disasters in Central Java, especially in relation to its upstream and downstream.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents empirical findings from quantitative research using a spatial analysis and descriptive analysis.

Findings

The upstream and downstream area of Central Java is categorized as a rapid development area that results in changes in land use and land cover. The findings showed that there was an increasing number of hydrometeorological disasters such as floods and landslides as the impact of land-use change and rainfall conditions.

Research limitations/implications

Analysis of the relationship between rainfall and disaster events with more technical and specific analysis could be done in the further research.

Originality/value

In this study, more analysis in the context of river basin systems including upstream and downstream in different periods to examine the linkage between them have been considered and incorporated.

Details

International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, vol. 14 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-5908

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 May 2023

Catherine Brown, Sharon Christensen, Andrea Blake, Karlina Indraswari, Clevo Wilson and Kevin Desouza

Information on the impact of flooding is fundamental to mitigating flood risk in residential property. This paper aims to provide insight into the seller disclosure of flood risk…

Abstract

Purpose

Information on the impact of flooding is fundamental to mitigating flood risk in residential property. This paper aims to provide insight into the seller disclosure of flood risk and buyer behaviour in the absence of mandated seller disclosure.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts a case study approach to critically evaluate the matrix of flood information available for buyers purchasing residential property in Brisbane, Queensland. This paper uses big data analytic techniques to extract and analyse internet data from online seller agents and buyer platforms to gain an understanding of buyer awareness and consideration of flood risk in the residential property market.

Findings

Analysis of property marketing data demonstrates that seller agents voluntarily disclose flood impact only in periods where a flooding event is anticipated and is limited to asserting a property is free of flood risk. Analysis of buyer commentary demonstrates that buyers are either unaware of flood information or are discounting the risk of flood in favour of other property and locational attributes when selecting residential property.

Practical implications

This research suggests that improved and accessible government-provided flood mapping tools are not enhancing buyers’ understanding and awareness of flood risk. Accordingly, it is recommended that mandatory disclosure be introduced in Queensland so that buyers are more able to manage risk and investment decisions before the purchase of residential property.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to existing literature on raising community awareness and understanding of natural disaster risks and makes a further contribution in identifying mandatory disclosure as a mechanism to highlight the risk of flooding and inform residential property purchasers.

Details

Journal of Property, Planning and Environmental Law, vol. 15 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9407

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 March 2021

Billie Ann Brotman

The purpose of this research study is to determine whether flood-damaged residences located in the USA are remaining unrepaired because of the lack of flood insurance coverage…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research study is to determine whether flood-damaged residences located in the USA are remaining unrepaired because of the lack of flood insurance coverage. Unrepaired flooded dwellings are subsequently being foreclosed with mortgage-insurance claims being paid to lenders. This paper aims to examine if weather events that cause flooding impact the losses suffered by mortgage insurers and homeowners.

Design/methodology/approach

Two fully modified least squares regression models are done using losses experienced by two mortgage insurance companies. The AM Best insurance rating information for a 16-year period or years 2002–2017 is used to study whether the loss ratios experienced by two companies underwriting private mortgage insurance (PMI) are statistically correlated to National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claim levels. The assumption is that higher flood insurance claims are a proxy for more severe weather events during a particular year which results in flooding that damage residences.

Findings

The NFIP claims coefficient is positive and significant for both companies being examined. This indicates that the more serious the flooding event during a specific year, the higher the losses experienced by the private mortgage insurer. The R2 results for the regression models were 0.673–0.695. The income variable has a negative coefficient which was significant. It indicates that falling income lead to rising mortgage insurer losses. The NFIP variable was significant with a positive coefficient.

Research limitations/implications

The mortgage insurance industry is dominated by several companies at any point in time. During the 16-year study period, some companies have become insolvent, merged with other companies or recently started underwriting mortgage insurance. One company was diversified writing multiple lines of property insurance. There were only two insurers with complete financial information for the specified study period.

Practical implications

There are currently five mortgage insurers operating in the USA. A serious flood event could cause the insolvency of some of these companies. This would reduce the competition existing in the default insurance market. The financial markets for real estate loans price mortgages based on the availability and the ability to secure mortgage insurance for high loan-to-value properties. There is federal mortgage insurance available for certain types of residential loans.

Social implications

There are a limited number of insurers writing flood insurance. These companies can pick or reject dwellings and/or commercial properties to underwrite for insurance. The goal of phasing out insurance through the NFIP may prove impossible to achieve. A flood event without insurance would cause serious financial consequences to property owners, loan delinquencies and could depress the local economy for years. Competition from private mortgage insurers may intensify the adverse selection already being experienced by the NFIP. Private insurers would select the lower risk flood applications leaving the more risky insurance to be covered by the NFIP.

Originality/value

Prior research focused on financial variables impacting PMI and weather factors affecting flood insurance claims. Financial ratios published in the AM Best rating guide for the USA and Canada were used to examine whether or not PMI losses are indirectly affected by flooding events as measured by NFIP variable. Comparing two separate lines of insurance and their impact on each other has not been studied by prior researchers.

Details

International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, vol. 15 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 July 2021

Billie Ann Brotman

Flood damage to uninsured single-family homes shifts the entire burden of costly repairs onto the homeowner. Homeowners in the United States and in much of Europe can purchase…

Abstract

Purpose

Flood damage to uninsured single-family homes shifts the entire burden of costly repairs onto the homeowner. Homeowners in the United States and in much of Europe can purchase flood insurance. The Netherlands and Asian countries generally do not offer flood insurance protection to homeowners. Uninsured households incur the entire cost of repairing/replacing properties damaged due to flooding. Homeowners’ policies do not cover damage caused by flooding. The paper examines the link between personal bankruptcy and the severity of flooding events, property prices and financial condition levels.

Design/methodology/approach

A fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS) regression model is developed which uses personal bankruptcy filings as its dependent variable during the years 2000 through 2018. This time-series model considers the association between personal bankruptcy court filings and costly, widespread flooding events. Independent variables were selected that potentially act as mitigating factors reducing bankruptcy filings.

Findings

The FMOLS regression results found a significant, positive association between flooding events and the total number of personal bankruptcy filings. Higher flooding costs were associated with higher bankruptcy filings. The Home Price Index is inversely related to the bankruptcy dependent variable. The R-squared results indicate that 0.65% of the movement in the dependent variable personal bankruptcy filings is explained by the severity of a flooding event and other independent variables.

Research limitations/implications

The severity of the flooding event is measured using dollar losses incurred by the National Flood Insurance program. A macro-case study was undertaken, but the research results would have been enhanced by examining local areas and demographic factors that may have made bankruptcy filing following a flooding event more or less likely.

Practical implications

The paper considers the impact of the natural disaster flooding on bankruptcy rates filings. The findings may have implications for multi-family properties as well as single-family housing. Purchasing flood insurance generally mitigates the likelihood of severe financial risk to the property owner.

Social implications

Natural flood insurance is underwritten by the federal government and/or by private insurers. The financial health of private property insurers that underwrite flooding and their ability to meet losses incurred needs to be carefully scrutinized by the insured.

Originality/value

Prior studies analyzing the linkages existing between housing prices, natural disasters and bankruptcy used descriptive data, mostly percentages, when considering this association. The study herein posits the same questions as these prior studies but used regression analysis to analyze the linkages. The methodology enables additional independent variables to be added to the analysis.

Details

Property Management, vol. 40 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-7472

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 January 2020

Anna Ribas, Jorge Olcina and David Sauri

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of high intensity precipitation events in increasing the vulnerability to floods in Mediterranean Spain. Precipitation intensity…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of high intensity precipitation events in increasing the vulnerability to floods in Mediterranean Spain. Precipitation intensity in this area appears to have augmented in the last two decades in association with warming trends of the Mediterranean Sea. At the same time, intense urbanization processes, occupying and transforming flood prone land, have produced an important increase in exposure. The main objective is to assess whether higher intensity precipitation and changing patterns in exposure aggravate vulnerability to floods.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, vulnerability is understood as the result of the interrelationships between exposure, sensitivity, impacts and adaptive capacity. Consequently, methods used involved the compilation and analysis of published and unpublished precipitation data, population and land use data, data on insurance claims, and media sources related to those variables.

Findings

Changes toward episodes of more intense precipitation in the expanding urban areas of Mediterranean Spain increase exposure but not necessarily vulnerability, at least in terms of human deaths. However, adaptative capacity needs to be formulated. Actions that attempt to absorb and eventually reuse flood flows (as the flood park in Alicante) appear to be more effective than traditional hydraulic solutions (as in Majorca).

Originality/value

The paper provides a systematic and coherent approach to vulnerability analysis taking into account the changing dynamics of its components. Especially, it signals the limits of current adaptive approaches to flooding and advocates for changes toward a more circular and less linear approach to urban drainage.

Details

Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, vol. 29 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-3562

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 February 2018

Jens Hirsch and Jonas Hahn

The purpose of this paper is to quantify the impact of 100-year flood risk on both property rents and values in Germany, exemplified by the market of the historic city of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to quantify the impact of 100-year flood risk on both property rents and values in Germany, exemplified by the market of the historic city of Regensburg, and therefore supports investors in understanding market behavior patterns in both rental and investment context.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors construct two generalized additive models for rents and purchasing prices with spatial components and under inclusion of both typical property characteristics (as control variables) and a 100-year flood risk parameter in order to estimate its effect on the rents and property price structure. The authors apply the methodology to a four-year data set of more than 16,500 observations.

Findings

The analysis shows that flood risk is a highly significant parameter when estimating both the rent as well as the sales price model. The authors also find that purchase prices for one square meter of living area are, on average, EUR299 lower if the property is located in the flood risk zone. In addition, also rental markets come with a respective, but rather low, discount.

Practical implications

The authors provide transparency to investors in terms of the impact that a flood risk location has on property rents as well as purchasing prices. The study supports investors by providing evidence on reaction patterns in German real estate markets and helps quantifying the financial impact that comes with flood risk in Germany.

Originality/value

This is the first study that aims to empirically test and to quantify the impact of flood risk on property rents and purchasing prices in Germany. Related research has been performed for the USA, Ireland and New Zealand and largely refers to event-driven work or rather conceptual in the context of property valuation.

Details

Journal of Property Investment & Finance, vol. 36 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-578X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 15 December 2022

Anne-Sophie Gousse-Lessard, Philippe Gachon, Lily Lessard, Valérie Vermeulen, Maxime Boivin, Danielle Maltais, Elsa Landaverde, Mélissa Généreux, Bernard Motulsky and Julien Le Beller

The current pandemic and ongoing climate risks highlight the limited capacity of various systems, including health and social ones, to respond to population-scale and long-term…

1950

Abstract

Purpose

The current pandemic and ongoing climate risks highlight the limited capacity of various systems, including health and social ones, to respond to population-scale and long-term threats. Practices to reduce the impacts on the health and well-being of populations must evolve from a reactive mode to preventive, proactive and concerted actions beginning at individual and community levels. Experiences and lessons learned from the pandemic will help to better prevent and reduce the psychosocial impacts of floods, or other hydroclimatic risks, in a climate change context.

Design/methodology/approach

The present paper first describes the complexity and the challenges associated with climate change and systemic risks. It also presents some systemic frameworks of mental health determinants, and provides an overview of the different types of psychosocial impacts of disasters. Through various Quebec case studies and using lessons learned from past and recent flood-related events, recommendations are made on how to better integrate individual and community factors in disaster response.

Findings

Results highlight the fact that people who have been affected by the events are significantly more likely to have mental health problems than those not exposed to flooding. They further demonstrate the adverse and long-term effects of floods on psychological health, notably stemming from indirect stressors at the community and institutional levels. Different strategies are proposed from individual-centered to systemic approaches, in putting forward the advantages from intersectoral and multirisk researches and interventions.

Originality/value

The establishment of an intersectoral flood network, namely the InterSectoral Flood Network of Québec (RIISQ), is presented as an interesting avenue to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and a systemic view of flood risks. Intersectoral work is proving to be a major issue in the management of systemic risks, and should concern communities, health and mental health professionals, and the various levels of governance. As climate change is called upon to lead to more and more systemic risks, close collaboration between all the areas concerned with the management of the factors of vulnerability and exposure of populations will be necessary to respond effectively to damages and impacts (direct and indirect) linked to new meteorological and compound hazards. This means as well to better integrate the communication managers into the risk management team.

Details

Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, vol. 32 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-3562

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 September 2014

Natainia Lummen, Sota Nakajo and Fumihiko Yamada

This study aims to answer the following questions: what is the time scale in which areas downstream are affected by significant rainfall upstream, which areas are first affected…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to answer the following questions: what is the time scale in which areas downstream are affected by significant rainfall upstream, which areas are first affected, which areas are most affected, how effective is the current warning system in allotting an appropriate amount of time for evacuation, what has been the response time thus far utilizing the current warning system, how can this response time be im-proved using numerical simulation were addressed. The accu-rate prediction of floods and potential inundated areas is crucial for effective flood risk management and this paper analyses the model created for the July 12, 2012 Kumamoto flood event.

Design/methodology/approach

Using GIS, LIDAR, SIS and levelling field survey data, the inundated areas were mapped; the sequence of events and the distribution of flood waters were recreated using numerical analysis and modelling. The inundated areas generated by the model were then compared to the actual inundated areas.

Findings

The Tatsuda Ichi Chome area was completely inundated within 40 minutes of the first pooling of flood waters, whereas the Tatsuda Jin area was completely inundated within 20 minutes of the initial pooling of flood waters.

Originality/value

This research provides empirical evidence of flood impacts and highlights the benefits that can be derived from incorporating accurate flood modelling results into flood risk management systems, as well as extends the methodological approaches of flood risk management.

Details

International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, vol. 5 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-5908

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 10000