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Flood Risk and Response Management

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Hydrology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 January 2024) | Viewed by 31866

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Forestry and Natural Environment, International Hellenic University, Drama, Greece
Interests: mountainous water management; hydrogeomorphology; flood risk analysis; flash floods; urban floods; flood management and control

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Guest Editor
1. Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Heroon Polytechniou 9, Zografou, GR 15780 Athens, Greece
2. Laboratory of Climatology and Atmospheric Environment, Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University Campus, 15784 Athens, Greece
Interests: climatology; hydrology; hydrometeorology; climate change; floods; GIS; water resources management; renewable energy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, Democritus University of Thrace, 67100 Xanthi, Greece
Interests: mountainous water management; hydrogeomorphology; hydrometeorology; flood risk analysis; flash floods; urban floods; flood management and control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Climatology and Atmospheric Environment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Interests: climate change and variability; extreme hydrometeorological phenomena; droughts and aridity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The risk landscape (including flood risk) has been subject to significant changes over recent years. The planet faces a wide range of disaster risks, many of which are becoming progressively more prevalent and urgent to tackle. According to official records of the United Nations, floods are the most homicidal of all natural and man-made or technological disasters. Moreover, floods sometimes have a crossborder character that threatens entire regions and can affect multiple countries simultaneously, while other disasters (i.e., earthquakes) have more limited activity in terms of area. On the other hand, floods could have various causes of their formation (atmospheric, technical failures, even terrorists’ actions) and, as a consequence, diferrent mechanisms and characteristics.

All the above create a complicated phenomenon with numerous facets. For that reason, professional knowledge and skills based on applied research are needed by first and second responders to tackle situations involving flood management systems and infrastructure.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to gather and promote scientific papers that deal with:

  1. Innovative techniques and methods based on AR and VR that help the operational training of first and second responders.
  2. Hydrological modeling adapted to mountainous and torrential hydrological conditions.
  3. Modern awareness and early warning methods for safe and timely evacuation based on AI techniques and remote sensing techniques for rural and urban areas.
  4. Local-scale weather forecasting models with use for the preparation and implementation of local-scale anti-flood plans.

Prof. Dr. Dimitrios A. Emmanouloudis
Dr. Elissavet G. Feloni
Prof. Dr. Fotios Maris
Prof. Dr. Panagiotis Nastos
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • flood risk
  • flash floods
  • urban floods
  • anti-flood management
  • hydrological modeling
  • citizens’ awareness
  • preparedness
  • first responders
  • innovative virtual and augmented reality training

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 7625 KiB  
Article
Aeolus Data Validation for an Extreme Precipitation Event in Greece with the COSMO NWP Model
by Euripides Avgoustoglou, Ioannis Matsangouras, Ioannis Pytharoulis and Panagiotis Nastos
Water 2023, 15(21), 3820; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15213820 - 1 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1185
Abstract
The study of atmospheric models and climate systems has been hampered by the restricted availability of wind profile measurements. By recording wind profiles in near real time and giving useful information for Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models, the Doppler wind lidar technology used [...] Read more.
The study of atmospheric models and climate systems has been hampered by the restricted availability of wind profile measurements. By recording wind profiles in near real time and giving useful information for Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models, the Doppler wind lidar technology used in the European Space Agency’s Aeolus mission is expected to unravel this problem. By analyzing the precipitation from IANOS medicane, which occurred over the Thessaly plain in September 2020, a case study utilizing the COSMO NWP model illustrates the potential usefulness of Aeolus data in strengthening NWP models. Run in hindcast mode and forced by analyses with and without Aeolus, the model assimilated data that were produced at the European Centre for Medium-Range Forecasts (ECMWF). Evaluation against observations from Greek synoptic stations showed that the model precipitation using the Aeolus-assimilated data preponderated over the model results without their inclusion. This work aims to demonstrate the additional value of the Aeolus project towards the expansion of our knowledge of Earth’s atmosphere, particularly the improvement of our capacity to estimate severe weather events via the use of Aeolus with NWP models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk and Response Management)
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12 pages, 5453 KiB  
Article
A Route Search System to Avoid the Danger to Life in Dynamic Inundation
by Kohei Ogawa, Takuya Inoue, Yuki Hiramatsu and Jagriti Mishra
Water 2023, 15(7), 1417; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15071417 - 5 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1741
Abstract
In recent years, the frequency of torrential rains has increased due to abnormal weather conditions. Torrential rains have caused extensive flooding damage in many areas. As delays in evacuation can pose a threat to life, a quick search for safe evacuation routes has [...] Read more.
In recent years, the frequency of torrential rains has increased due to abnormal weather conditions. Torrential rains have caused extensive flooding damage in many areas. As delays in evacuation can pose a threat to life, a quick search for safe evacuation routes has become more important than ever before. In this study, we constructed a new system for searching evacuation routes that incorporates a function that varies the weight of each road in the route search depending on the distance from the flooded area D and the distance that the flood area extends in 10 min D (i.e., the flood’s inundation speed). We conducted multiple hypothetical flood simulations with different locations of levee breaches and shelters in the study site (Obihiro City, Japan). Then, we compared the results with the conventional system that does not include the proposed function. The results showed that the system proposed in this study increased the number of successful evacuees by up to 2.16 times compared to the conventional system. In our system, the weight function is set to the Cd power of D/D; increasing the model parameter Cd selects a route that detours more of the flooded area. The model parameter Cd that maximizes the number of successful evacuees is roughly constant, regardless of the locations of the levee breaches or shelters in the study site. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk and Response Management)
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25 pages, 52028 KiB  
Article
Two-Dimensional Modelling for Dam Break Analysis and Flood Hazard Mapping: A Case Study of Papadia Dam, Northern Greece
by Christos Mattas, Dimitris Karpouzos, Pantazis Georgiou and Theodoros Tsapanos
Water 2023, 15(5), 994; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15050994 - 6 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3251
Abstract
Dams are expensive technical constructions that ensure food production, sustain farmers’ income, and cover a large percentage of urban water supply demands. However, the threat of a dam break flood, which can be extremely dangerous for the local society, should be taken into [...] Read more.
Dams are expensive technical constructions that ensure food production, sustain farmers’ income, and cover a large percentage of urban water supply demands. However, the threat of a dam break flood, which can be extremely dangerous for the local society, should be taken into account, and proactive mitigation measures should be planned. Towards this direction, dam break modelling and flood hazard assessment are essential for developing flood crisis management and evacuation plans. In this study, a hypothetical case of failure of the Papadia dam in the Florina Regional Unit in northern Greece is examined. Two scenarios of failure were considered: overtopping and piping. A two-dimensional numerical model for the two failure scenarios was used to simulate the dam break process and flood wave routing using HEC-RAS software. A sensitivity analysis of the mesh size and breach parameters was performed to better understand their impact on the critical outputs of the simulation model. Flood hazard maps were produced in GIS environment based on water depth and velocity criteria. Furthermore, two classification approaches were adopted to assess the flood hazard using the product of water depth and velocity. The results showed that the extent of the inundated area could affect most of the study area and could cause severe damage to agricultural activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk and Response Management)
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29 pages, 9313 KiB  
Article
Potential of Two SAR-Based Flood Mapping Approaches in Supporting an Integrated 1D/2D HEC-RAS Model
by Ioanna Zotou, Kleanthis Karamvasis, Vassilia Karathanassi and Vassilios A. Tsihrintzis
Water 2022, 14(24), 4020; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14244020 - 9 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2516
Abstract
This study investigates the potential of Sentinel-1 data in assisting flood modeling procedures. Two different synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processing methodologies, one simplified based on single-flood image thresholding and one automatic based on SAR statistical temporal analysis, were exploited to delineate the flooding [...] Read more.
This study investigates the potential of Sentinel-1 data in assisting flood modeling procedures. Two different synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processing methodologies, one simplified based on single-flood image thresholding and one automatic based on SAR statistical temporal analysis, were exploited to delineate the flooding caused by a storm event that took place in Spercheios River, Central Greece. The storm event was simulated by coupling a HEC-HMS hydrologic model and an integrated 1D/2D HEC-RAS hydraulic model. Both SAR methodologies were compared to each other and also used as a reference to test the sensitivity of the hydraulic model in the variation of upstream discharge and roughness coefficient. Model sensitivity was investigated with respect to the change in the derived inundation extent and three additional metrics: the Critical Success Index (CSI), the Hit Rate (HR), and the False Alarm Ratio (FAR). The model response was found to be affected in the following order: by the upstream inflow, and by the variation of the roughness coefficient in the main channel and in the land use “cultivated crops”. The discrepancies observed between model- and SAR-derived inundation products are associated with the uncertainty accompanying the SAR processing and the utilized satellite data itself, the underlying topography, and the structural uncertainty inherent in the modeling procedure. Regarding the SAR methodologies tested, the second one (FLOMPY approach) proved to be more suitable, yielding a more coherent and realistic flooded area. According to the applied metrics and considering as reference the FLOMPY result, model performance ranged between 22–27.5% (CSI), 36.9–60.4% (HR), and 62.1–68.2% (FAR). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk and Response Management)
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21 pages, 5518 KiB  
Article
Flood Risk Assessment and Mapping in the Hadejia River Basin, Nigeria, Using Hydro-Geomorphic Approach and Multi-Criterion Decision-Making Method
by Abdulrahman Shuaibu, Jean Hounkpè, Yaovi Aymar Bossa and Robert M. Kalin
Water 2022, 14(22), 3709; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14223709 - 16 Nov 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5771
Abstract
Flood risk management is crucial for climate change resilience. The Hadejia River basin is known for severe and frequent floods, which have destroyed houses and farmlands and claimed many lives. This study developed a GIS-based flood risk and vulnerability mapping assessment using the [...] Read more.
Flood risk management is crucial for climate change resilience. The Hadejia River basin is known for severe and frequent floods, which have destroyed houses and farmlands and claimed many lives. This study developed a GIS-based flood risk and vulnerability mapping assessment using the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) to outline scenarios that reduce risk and vulnerability associated with floods in the Hadejia River basin. The risk mapping of the basin integrated seven hydro-geomorphological indicators influencing extreme events (elevation, mean annual rainfall, slope, distance from rivers, soil type, and drainage density) and six socio-economic vulnerability indicators (population density, female population density, literacy rate, land use, employment rate, and road network) using a multi-criterion analysis. The average annual rainfall data of 36 years (1982–2018) were used for flood plain mapping in this study. Combining the flood hazard and socio-economic vulnerability indices of the basin revealed high-to-very high flood risk in the downstream and central upstream portions of the basin, which cover about 43.4% of the basin area. The local areas of Auyo, Guri, Hadejia, Ringim, Kafin Hausa, and Jahun were identified as zones at a very high flood risk. The study also revealed that flood hazard and vulnerability indicators have different influences on flood risk. The validated results resonate with the records of previous flood distribution studies of the basin. This research study is significantly important for developing strategic measures and policy revision through which the government and relief agencies may reduce the negative impact of floods in the Hadejia River basin. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk and Response Management)
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Review

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0 pages, 1224 KiB  
Review
Reviewing Challenges of Flood Risk Management in Malaysia
by Haziq Sarhan Rosmadi, Minhaz Farid Ahmed, Mazlin Bin Mokhtar and Chen Kim Lim
Water 2023, 15(13), 2390; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15132390 - 28 Jun 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 15945
Abstract
This study reviewed some of the challenges faced by local authorities in disaster management, especially flood disasters that occurred in Malaysia. Flood disasters are the most frequent disasters in Malaysia, especially during the monsoon seasons. The hard structure developed by Malaysia’s National Security [...] Read more.
This study reviewed some of the challenges faced by local authorities in disaster management, especially flood disasters that occurred in Malaysia. Flood disasters are the most frequent disasters in Malaysia, especially during the monsoon seasons. The hard structure developed by Malaysia’s National Security Council (MKN) under ‘Directive 20’ is used to manage disasters in the country. Although Malaysia has become more skillful in managing flood disasters, the frequent climate changes along with weakness in implementing flood risk management plans resulted in much losses and damages throughout the country. Therefore, this study explored the gaps and weaknesses in flood risk management (FRM) in Malaysia by reviewing the available literature to recommend better flood management. This study revealed four main issues which are weaknesses in terms of (i) coordination and communication, (ii) manpower and assets, (iii) public awareness, and (iv) power and authority among local authorities to implement flood management plans. The capacity of local authorities and individuals in charge of disaster management is inadequate, especially for flood risk preparedness and management. Hence, responsible individuals are also in a vulnerable situation to implement management plans or rescue operations when flood disasters occur since they are also flood victims. Thus, the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) which acts as the main coordinator of disaster management in Malaysia should re-examine the flood management plan to ensure that it can be implemented efficiently and effectively, especially at the local level as they are the first respondents on the scene when the disaster occurs. The combination of both structural and non-structural measures might require in many cases the management of flood disasters; however, the disaster risk preparedness and management of individuals via customized training is a must to prevent flood disasters as well as minimize their impact. The flood management plan should also incorporate natural-based approaches at the whole-river-basin level for the long-term solution and sustainable development, not only focusing to manage the localized flood problem at the specific area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flood Risk and Response Management)
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