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Article
Publication date: 10 April 2017

Yu-Shou Su

This paper aims to propose the practice of urban resilience to flooding in a vulnerable Asian city, Taipei. It conducts Geographic Information System (GIS)-based simulations to…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to propose the practice of urban resilience to flooding in a vulnerable Asian city, Taipei. It conducts Geographic Information System (GIS)-based simulations to assess Taipei’s vulnerability under a set of varying flooding scenarios and likelihoods. This research concludes by proposing remedies to fill the gaps these flood simulations reveal and, in doing so, promotes urban resilience in Taipei. This paper provides an example of urban resilience to flooding for other cities in Asia.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper undertakes a case study of Taipei to survey current practices and historic analyses as a tool to evaluate a chronology of policies implemented to make Taipei resilient to flooding. It also conducts flood simulation and scenario analysis through the technology of GIS by using ArcMap 10.2.2 software to gauge the vulnerabilities in Taipei. These GIS-based data sets are collected from Taiwan’s central and local governments. This paper analyzes the vulnerability of population, land value, residential properties, GDP and critical facilities, such as major subway stations, medical centers, public schools, major public buildings, electric power substations and gas/oil stations. Additionally, it analyzes the likelihood and cost and benefit of different flooding scenarios based on typhoon and rainfall data sets in 1975-2014 period. After a thorough analysis of vulnerability, likelihood of flooding and cost–benefit analyses, this research develops Taipei resilience policies to address the vulnerabilities.

Findings

The findings indicate that Taipei case study, a chronology of policies implemented to prevent flooding, explains that costly engineering structures, rebuilding and fortification against floods eventually created a false sense of security, which has encouraged more intensive residential and commercial developments in flood-prone areas, and led to a higher level of vulnerability. Additionally, flooding simulations indicate that 40 per cent of Taipei City is located in flood risk areas in an extreme weather scenario. This percentage is higher than other global cities such as London’s 15 per cent, Tokyo’s 10 per cent and New York City’s 25 per cent. Based on the 10 per cent of total flooding areas above 0.5 m, the vulnerable population is estimated at 200,000 people, or 7 per cent of the total population. The GDP impact will be more than $28bn. More than $67bn of land value is vulnerable. A least one million subway passengers will be affected each day. Further, there is little evidence that the urban poor are particularly vulnerable to floods. On the contrary, some neighborhoods with high-income households face a higher risk of floods. Very few medical centers, oil and gas stations and electrical power substations are located in flood-prone areas, but a large number of public schools, administrative buildings and major subway stations are susceptible. Additionally, the likelihood analysis of flooding in an extreme rainfall scenario concludes that the possibility will be five times that of the existing assumption with a flood in every 200 years. Thus, Taipei City’s infrequent once-in-two-century floods are likely to occur more frequently.

Originality/value

This paper provides a thorough analysis of vulnerability, likelihood of flooding and cost–benefit analyses in Taipei. It also develops Taipei resilience policies to address the vulnerabilities. In the future, rather than strengthening and rebuilding costly structures, Taipei should focus on land-use and environmental planning for resilience. Urban policies should include environmentally responsible development in the face of continued population and economic growth, and being resilient regarding natural disasters. Most important is the need for a strong political commitment and leadership to initiate and implement urban policies toward resilience.

Details

International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, vol. 8 no. 02
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-5908

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 July 2022

Wenping Xu, Yuan Zhang, David. Proverbs and Zhi Zhong

This paper aims to clarify the resistance degree of group road logistics to flood disaster resilience. The paper measures the resilience of group road logistics by establishing…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to clarify the resistance degree of group road logistics to flood disaster resilience. The paper measures the resilience of group road logistics by establishing network structure model. The purpose of this study is to improve the resilience of road log.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts Delphi method to collect data, interviews mainly flood management experts and supply chain risk management experts, and then analyzes the data through the network structure model combined with interpretative structure model (ISM) and analytical network process (ANP).

Findings

The results show that flood frequency and drainage systems are the main factors affecting the resilience of road transport logistics in urban areas. These research results provide useful guidance for the effective planning and design of urban road construction and infrastructure.

Research limitations/implications

However, the main factors affecting the resilience of road transport logistics are likely to change with the development of factors such as climate, economy and environment. Therefore, in future work, the authors' research will focus on the further application of this evaluation method.

Practical implications

The results show that the impact of flooding on the four dimensions of road logistics resilience varies. This shows that in deciding what intervention measures are to be taken to improve the resilience of the road network to flooding, various measures need to be considered.

Social implications

This paper provides a more scientific analysis of the risk management ability of the road network in the face of floods. In addition, it also provides a useful reference for urban road planners.

Originality/value

This paper addresses a clear need to study how to build models to improve the resilience of road logistics in flood risk.

Details

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, vol. 42 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4708

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 September 2022

Babette Linda Safougne Djomekui and Aristide Yemmafouo

This study aims to understand the mechanisms that contribute to the construction of the resilience of populations to urban flooding. It therefore proposes to analyse the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to understand the mechanisms that contribute to the construction of the resilience of populations to urban flooding. It therefore proposes to analyse the strategies and attitudes developed by households subjected to floods to maintain and rebuild themselves despite the damage in the urbanised mangrove swamp of the south of the city.

Design/methodology/approach

The fieldwork consisted of observing the behaviours, practices and attitudes of households to flooding in the study area. In addition to observations, the fieldwork included interviews (60), focus groups (10), completion of 260 questionnaires by heads of households and field mapping. The sample was determined by the non-probability quota method. The data processing involved the extraction of descriptive and multivariate statistics as well as content analysis.

Findings

The rapid growth of Douala leads to vulnerabilities through the spontaneous occupation of mangrove areas, thus aggravating the impacts of the floods that occur. Afterwards, the analysis of the individual and collective responses of the inhabitants of the study area highlighted resilience in action. This resilience is expressed in two ways: the individual ability of the inhabitants to exploit internal/psychological and external resources/personal social capital to absorb the shock; and the capacity for self-organisation and learning which is manifested by the use of feedback in the reconstruction phase to transform the disaster into an opportunity for territorial development.

Research limitations/implications

Two main limitations of this work should be noted and are as follows. The study is only centred on an urbanised mangrove area, although there are others: Does the research hypothesis also apply to other urbanised mangrove areas? Flooding is not specific to mangrove areas. Other spontaneous non-mangrove neighbourhoods are subject to flooding. The results of this study give the impression that resilience capacities are paradoxically manifested in the most vulnerable neighbourhoods. This impression needs to be confirmed by further studies for a comparative synthesis of the experience of shocks between spontaneous neighbourhoods and planned neighbourhoods.

Practical implications

Urban flooding is one of many physical phenomena that scientists and technologists are learning about and trying to anticipate, avoid, and prepare for. Governments are simultaneously implementing policies for prevention, monitoring, warning, and reaction. If this analysis does not take into account the intrinsic capacities of the populations to cope with dangers, accept responsibility for their actions, and take significant local action when necessary, this framework will still be inadequate. Spontaneous activities are gradually developing around these efforts into coordinated, structured actions that, if taken into consideration and effectively managed, can prove to be successful and satisfying on a town-wide scale.

Social implications

Scientists and technicians are learning about physical phenomena such as urban flooding and are seeking ways to predict, prevent and protect against them. In parallel, governments are putting in place prevention, monitoring, warning and response policies. This framework is still lacking if this study does not consider the populations’ inherent abilities to deal with threats, take responsibility for their actions and take meaningful local action when necessary. Around these efforts, spontaneous initiatives are progressively emerging into concerted structured actions that can prove to be effective and satisfactory on a town-wide scale if they are taken into account and well managed.

Originality/value

Very few studies have considered the forms of expression of resilience in marginal urban environments such as spontaneous and anarchic neighbourhoods, non-aedificandi zones and sensitive environments such as the mangroves areas.

Details

International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-5908

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 July 2023

Alolote Amadi and Onaopepo Adeniyi

This paper aims to quantitively assess the resilience of residential properties to urban flooding in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and assess whether they vary at spatially aggregated…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to quantitively assess the resilience of residential properties to urban flooding in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and assess whether they vary at spatially aggregated scales relative to the level of flood exposure.

Design/methodology/approach

The study synthesizes theoretical constructs/indicators for quantifying property level resilience, as a basis for measuring resilience. Using a two-stage purposive/stratified randomized sampling approach, 407 questionnaires were sent out to residents of 25 flood-prone areas, to solicit information on the resilience constructs as indicated by the adaptation behaviors of individual households and their property attributes. A principal component analysis approach is used as a mechanism for weighting the indicators, based on which aggregated spatial-scale resilience indices were computed for the 25 sampled areas relative to their levels of flood exposure.

Findings

Area 11 located in the moderate flood zone has the lowest resilience index, while Area 20 located in the high flood zone has the highest resilience index. The resilience indices for the low, moderate and high flood zone show only minimal and statistically insignificant differences indicating maladaptation even with incremental levels of flood exposure.

Practical implications

The approach to resilience measurement exemplifies a reproducible lens through which the concept of “living with floods” can be holistically assessed at the property level while highlighting the nexus of the social and technical dimensions.

Originality/value

The study moves beyond theoretical conceptualization, to empirically quantify the complex concept of property-level flood resilience.

Details

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

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 December 2019

Tej Kumar Karki

This paper has carried out a case study of two flood-prone towns in Johor state, Malaysia, to understand how resilient the residents and local authorities were in dealing with the…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper has carried out a case study of two flood-prone towns in Johor state, Malaysia, to understand how resilient the residents and local authorities were in dealing with the flood disasters in terms of their ability to anticipate, mobilize institutional resources, adapt and respond.

Design/methodology/approach

This research conducted semi-structured interviews with flood-affected residents, flood disaster managers and planners, and assessed land use regulations and institutional strengths to answer the research question.

Findings

The results showed that the residents’ anticipatory capacity to flood risks was weak and both the human and institutional resources were insufficient in coping with and responding to urban flooding.

Research limitations/implications

This research has not carried out questionnaire survey of large number of residents. It is based on semi-structured interview of ten residents in two Malaysian cities.

Practical implications

The insights drawn from this research would help develop flood-resilient policies for Malaysian cities. The global communities exposed to flood disasters too benefit from the Malaysia’s minute but crucial human and institutional experiences in urban flooding.

Social implications

Being resilient to all these small but important flood concerns has huge potential to reduce vulnerability and disaster risks and protect the lives and properties of flood affected urban residents.

Originality/value

The research focus in Malaysia is less on flood resilience and more on flood modeling and hydrology analysis. In this sense, this research is new because it talks more on flood vulnerability and resilience issues at the community level and gives a perspective on current Malaysian town's state of flood resilience culture and practices.

Details

International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, vol. 11 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-5908

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 April 2022

Indrajit Pal, Jose Luis Arboleda, Vilas Nitivattananon and Nonthakarn Benjachat

The purpose of this study is to understand through the qualitative assessment, how the current strategy plans are geared toward reducing urban flood risks and achieving…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to understand through the qualitative assessment, how the current strategy plans are geared toward reducing urban flood risks and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 11 and 13.

Design/methodology/approach

The Bangkok Metropolitan Region (BMR) plays a major role in Thailand’s economic development. Thus, when the 2011 Thailand flood disaster occurred, BMR suffered major economic and social losses, which impacted the rest of the country. This mega disaster prompted policymakers, the academe and other relevant stakeholders to reevaluate and amend the current urban flood risk reduction measures and governance. The present study attempts to evaluate and compare the post-2011 Thailand flood disaster strategy and master plans, policies and reports that directly and indirectly reduce urban flood risks in the provinces of BMR. Basing on SDGs 11 and 13 targets that impact urban flood risk and resilience, a set of criteria was developed to screen, score and asses the selected documents. A screening process of three levels are conducted to limit the documents to be reviewed, and subsequent content analysis for scoring also has been done.

Findings

The projected results indicate the need for improved and increased number of localized strategic plans and policies, which are more comprehensive and integrated as risk governance documents.

Research limitations/implications

Furthermore, it is projected that there is need to integrate measures to increase adaptive capacity for BMR.

Originality/value

This study is original, and methodology can be replicated for other urban areas for flood risks and resilience assessment.

Details

International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, vol. 13 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-5908

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 March 2018

Clarkson Mvo Wanie and Roland Akoh Ndi

Cities across the globe, particularly those of the less developed world, face long-term challenges associated with floods which impact negatively on the resilience of city systems…

Abstract

Purpose

Cities across the globe, particularly those of the less developed world, face long-term challenges associated with floods which impact negatively on the resilience of city systems and their inhabitants. In the city of Maroua, most urban management stakeholders have been unable to integrate flood resilience research into urban development issues. It is against this background that the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the governance issues constraining the deployment of flood resilience strategies implemented by residents in flood-prone zones and those used by the government via administrative authorities and institutions charged with urban development to flood-related risks in the city of Maroua, Far North Region of Cameroon.

Design/methodology/approach

Field surveys, participant observations, interviews, and on-the-spot appraisals were carried out with residents in flood-prone neighbourhoods and municipal authorities on the state of recurrent floods including mitigating strategies being implemented.

Findings

The results revealed that Maroua has a fragile ecological setting which has increased the vulnerability of the town to flood-related risks. This is further aggravated by the fact that municipal authorities are yet to have a thorough mastery of such recurrent flood incidences due to their limited planning horizons, rendering the urban poor disproportionately susceptible to flood-related stresses. This exposes them to unavoidable flood associated hazards such as water borne diseases (typhoid and cholera) as they are bogged down by physical and financial limitations. Besides, decision-making processes in relation to managing urban systems are not guided by good governance as efforts to enhance and integrate the local population for flood resilience are neither participatory nor inclusive, ushering the urban environment of Maroua into a frivolous path to profligacy.

Originality/value

For resilience to be deeply entrenched, the paper proffers for the mainstreaming of flood resilience strategies into urban development plans through multi-stakeholder involvement across different sectors and departments, as well as the setting up of a practical time table for monitoring the progress of these measures through geospatial technologies such as remote sensing and geographical information systems.

Details

Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, vol. 27 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-3562

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 July 2020

Oluseye Adewale Adebimpe, David G. Proverbs and Victor Oluwasina Oladokun

Recent changes in climate, rainfall patterns, snow melt and rising sea levels coupled with an increase in urban development have increased the threat of flooding. To curb these…

Abstract

Purpose

Recent changes in climate, rainfall patterns, snow melt and rising sea levels coupled with an increase in urban development have increased the threat of flooding. To curb these threats and mitigate these damages, property-level approaches to improving resilience are now being encouraged as part of an integrated approach to flood risk management. This raises questions such as, what are the flood resilient attributes within individual properties, what is their importance and how can these be quantified. This research sought to develop a quantitative approach for the measurement of property-level flood resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

A synthesis of literature was undertaken to establish the main resilient attributes and their relevant sub-attributes. This process led to the development of a new method, named the Composite Flood Resilient Index (CFRI) to weight the attributes and sub-attributes of flood resilience based on their importance. The approach adopts the use of the fuzzy-analytic hierarchy process (F-AHP) approach to quantify flood resilience.

Findings

The implications of the proposed methodology in determining the flood resilience of individual property, including the potential use in retrofitting activities, and the benefits to a range of stakeholders are considered.

Social implications

The methodology offers the potential to support the measurement of flood resilience of individual properties, allowing the identification and prioritisation of specific interventions to improve the resilience of a property.

Originality/value

Whereas previous attempts to quantify flood resilience have adopted qualitative approaches with some level of subjectivity, this proposed methodology represents an important advancement in developing a scientific and quantitative approach.

Details

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, vol. 39 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4708

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 March 2021

Rumana Asad, Iftekhar Ahmed, Josephine Vaughan and Jason von Meding

Urban flooding in developing countries of the Global South is growing due to extreme rainfall and sea-level rise induced by climate change, as well as the proliferation of…

Abstract

Purpose

Urban flooding in developing countries of the Global South is growing due to extreme rainfall and sea-level rise induced by climate change, as well as the proliferation of impervious, built-up areas resulting from unplanned urbanisation and development. Continuous loss of traditional knowledge related to local water management practices, and the de-valuing of such knowledge that goes hand-in-hand with globalised aspirations, is inhibiting flood resilience efforts. This paper aims to address the need to include traditional water knowledge (TWK) in urban living and development processes in the Global South.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper commences with a review of existing frameworks that focus on natural resource management, critically assessing two existing frameworks of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). The assessment of the existing approaches contributes to this paper’s development of a novel framework to promote TWK with regard to resilience and risk reduction, specifically for developing flood adaptive strategies, which is the second stage of this paper. Finally, the paper explains how the framework can contribute to the field of urban design and planning using examples from the literature to demonstrate challenges and opportunities related to the adaptation of such a framework.

Findings

The framework developed in this paper reveals three proposed vertices of TWK, named as place-based landscape knowledge, water use and management and water values. This framework has the potential to produce context-specific knowledge that can contribute to flood-resilient built-environment through urban design and practices.

Research limitations/implications

The framework developed in this paper reveals three proposed vertices of TWK, named place-based landscape knowledge, water use and management and water values. This framework has the potential to produce context-specific knowledge that can contribute to flood-resilient built-environment through urban design and practices.

Originality/value

Within the field of TEK research, very few researchers have explored the field of developing flood resilience in an urban context. The proposed TWK framework presented in this paper will help to fill that gap.

Details

International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, vol. 13 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-5908

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 January 2020

Mohanad Abdulkareem, Inji Kenawy and Hisham ElKadi

The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the potential of ecologically driven urban design interventions to substantiate urban form performance in coping with the increasing…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the potential of ecologically driven urban design interventions to substantiate urban form performance in coping with the increasing flood threats particularly in the Middle East region. The paper applies ecological principles to new urban interventions for pluvial flood adaptation in Muscat city, Oman. The interventions incorporate the physical dimensions of both the natural (topography) and the built environment (urban morphology). The study demonstrates different scenarios in Muscat city in Oman and discusses the different challenges faced at different socio-economic and ecological levels.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopts a case study approach. The methods include semi-structured interviews aiming to gain insight from experts in the field of study about salient physical interventions in the urban context that is potentially going to help mitigating flood consequences. Mitigation scenarios were guided by the participants’ recommendations in the area. Scenarios were tested across two complementary phases using two software packages, the first of which is the pre-processing phase accomplished by using the Aeronautical Reconnaissance Coverage Geographic Information System and the second is the flood analysis phase done by the Hydrological Environmental Center for River Analysis System (HECRAS) platform. The scenarios were evaluated in relation to the successfulness and reliability of physical solutions based on to which extent the flood wave depth and coverage was reduced.

Findings

The paper provides an alternative resilient holistic approach to achieve socially and ecologically sensitive and less expensive flood mitigation solutions in the Middle East.

Originality/value

The paper provides a new approach to flood mitigation linking ecological principles to the social dimension of human activities and experience in closely knitted communities.

Details

World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, vol. 17 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-5945

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 2000