Search Results (77)

Heavy metals are widespread environmental contaminants from natural and anthropogenic sources, posing risks to human health and ecosystems. In urban areas, levels are elevated due to industrial activity, traffic emissions, and building materials. Camden, New Jersey, a city with a history of industry and illegal dumping, faces increased risk due to aging sewer and stormwater systems. These systems frequently flood neighborhoods and parks, heightening residents’ exposure to heavy metals. Despite this, few studies have examined metal distribution in Camden, particularly during storm events. This study analyzes stormwater metal concentrations across residential and commercial areas to assess contamination levels, potential sources, and land use associations. Stormwater samples were collected from 33 flooded street locations after four storm events in summer 2023, along with samples from a flooded residential basement during three storms. All were analyzed for total lead, cadmium, and arsenic using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS, (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ, USA)). Concentration data were visualized using geographic information system (GIS)-based mapping in relation to land use, socioeconomic, and public health factors. In Camden’s stormwater, lead levels (1–1164 µg L⁻¹) were notably higher than those of cadmium (0.1–3.3 µg L⁻¹) and arsenic (0.2–8.6 µg L⁻¹), which were relatively low. Concentrations varied citywide, with localized hot spots shaped by environmental and socio-economic factors. Principal component analysis indicates lead and cadmium likely originate from shared sources, mainly industries and illegal dumping. Notably, indoor stormwater samples showed higher heavy metal concentrations than outdoor street samples, indicating greater exposure risks in flooded homes. These findings highlight the spatial variability and complex sources of heavy metal contamination in stormwater, underscoring the need for targeted interventions in vulnerable communities. Full article

Historic city centers are characterized by dense and heterogeneous built environments, making them particularly vulnerable to the compound effects of seismic, flood, and landslide hazards. In this context, information required for vulnerability and risk assessment is often fragmented, limiting the effectiveness of preventive planning and mitigation strategies. This reveals an operational gap in current practice; therefore, this work aims to support decision-oriented, multi-level assessment in historic centers through a replicable approach, even in low-resource contexts. A GIS workflow integrates territorial multi-hazard screening with building-scale overlay mapping of literature-based vulnerability, exposure, and risk classes. Applied to Montalbano Jonico (Italy), the screening analyzed 15 census sections and identified three hotspot areas within the historic center for detailed assessment. Within these critical areas, building-scale mapping yields intervention priorities: 42.8% of building aggregates show High–Very High seismic vulnerability (44.4% in Very High–Maximum Priority risk classes) and 50% show Very High landslide vulnerability (63.2% in Very High–Maximum Priority risk classes), mostly affecting masonry and residential buildings. Overall, the framework provides a practical decision tool to support municipal administrations, technical offices, civil protection agencies, and built heritage management institutions, and is designed for GIS–BIM interoperability. Full article

The increase in extreme weather underscores the critical need for combining innovative architecture, urban, and landscape design to render our cities more resilient. Conventional approaches, heavily relying on energy consuming and dioxide producing technology, often falter during extreme events, worsening climate challenges. A project in Melbourne exemplifies a shift towards nature-inspired, distributed designs implementing passive strategies of shading, ventilation, water capture, and evaporative cooling. It transformed underused urban spaces into “climate oases” connected through walkable ecological corridors to mitigate urban heat and flooding while providing social and recreational benefits. Its design combined architectural, urban, and ecological strategies in interconnected city ecologies involving buildings, landscapes, and human activities. Local climate adaptation could similarly inform architectural and urban strategies in other locations across the globe. They could similarly draw on the needs of each climate: tropical cities would benefit from embracing cross-ventilation and shade, arid regions from integrating cooling gardens and introverted dense layouts, temperate climates from seasonal strategies alternating rain and sun protection, while cold areas could optimize sun exposure and wind protection. A study of climate design principles across architecture, urban, and landscape sections demonstrate tailored approaches for specific climates over one-size-fits-all models. They combine strategies to drive innovative urban ecologies that prioritize human and environmental well-being. While the Melbourne Cool Lines initiative exemplifies the integration of climate sensitive urban and ecological approaches within existing urban areas, the typological study ignites discussions on how to take these ideas into different contexts, transforming cities into resilient ecosystems that could better respond to changing climates. Full article

Mountain regions are highly susceptible to severe hydro-meteorological events. These events induce substantial morphological changes that are preserved in the environment and cause significant economic losses, representing a major challenge for water resource management. Due to their abrupt nature, mitigating the impacts of such events requires preventive measures. The goal of the study was to comprehensively evaluate the impact of severe hydro-meteorological events on the mountain environment of the Ochotnica catchment, considering both environmental and economic aspects, over several years. This multi-year perspective also provided the opportunity to formulate some recommendations for the development of adaptation strategies for extreme hydro-meteorological events in mountain areas. The study demonstrates that delineation of the Maximum Probable Flood (MPF) hazard zone is a key element in building resilience to such events in mountain areas. Information related to the extent and depth of this zone, together with flow velocity, are critical components which may support actions aimed at reducing flood exposure and vulnerability, limiting the negative consequences of extreme hydro-meteorological events in mountain catchments prone to flash floods. Full article

Urban coastal areas are increasingly vulnerable to compound flooding due to the convergence of extreme rainfall, storm surges, and infrastructure aging, especially in high-density settings. This study proposes and empirically validates a multi-scale strategy for enhancing urban flood resilience in the Macau Peninsula, a densely built coastal city with complex flood exposure patterns. Building on a previously developed network-based resilience assessment framework, the study integrates hydrodynamic simulation and complex network analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of targeted interventions, including segmented storm surge defense barriers, drainage infrastructure upgrades, and spatially optimized low-impact development (LID) measures. The Macau Peninsula was partitioned into multiple shoreline defense zones, each guided by context-specific design principles and functional zoning. Based on our previously developed flood simulation framework covering extreme rainfall, storm surge, and compound events in high-density coastal zones, this study validates resilience strategies that achieve significant reductions in inundation extent, water depth, and recession time. Additionally, the network-based resilience index showed marked improvement in system connectivity and recovery efficiency, particularly under compound hazard conditions. The findings highlight the value of integrating spatial planning, ecological infrastructure, and systemic modeling to inform adaptive flood resilience strategies in compact coastal cities. The framework developed offers transferable insights for other urban regions confronting escalating hydrometeorological risks under climate change. Full article

Greece faces increasing exposure to natural hazards—particularly wildfires, floods, and earthquakes—driven by climatic, environmental, and spatial factors. This study systematically reviews 108 peer-reviewed publications and official reports, applying PRISMA methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of the national civil protection system. The analysis reveals localized progress, notably in earthquake preparedness due to strict building codes and centralized oversight, but also persistent systemic weaknesses. These include fragmented governance, coordination gaps across agencies, insufficient integration of spatial planning, limited local preparedness, and reactive approaches to disaster management. Case studies of major events, such as the 2018 Mati wildfires and 2023 Thessaly floods, underscore how communication breakdowns and delayed evacuations contribute to substantial human and economic losses. Promising developments—such as SMS-based early warning systems, joint training exercises, and pilot GIS risk-mapping tools—illustrate potential pathways for improvement, though their application remains uneven. Future priorities include strengthening unified command structures, enhancing prevention-oriented planning, investing in interoperable communication systems, and fostering community engagement. The findings position Greece’s civil protection as structurally capable of progress but in need of sustained, systemic reforms to build a resilient, prevention-focused framework for increasing disaster risks. Full article

Coastal high tide flooding doubled in the U.S. between 2000 and 2022 and sea level rise (SLR) due to climate change will dramatically increase exposure and vulnerability to flooding in the future. However, standards for elevating buildings in flood hazard areas, such as base flood elevations set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, are based on historical flood data and do not account for future SLR. To increase flood resilience in flood hazard areas, federal, state, regional, and municipal planning initiatives are developing guidance to increase elevation requirements for occupied spaces in buildings. However, methods to establish a flood elevation that specifically accounts for rising sea levels (or sea level rise-adjusted design flood elevation (SLR-DFE)) are not standardized. Many municipalities or designers lack clear guidance on developing or incorporating SLR-DFEs. This study compares guidance documents, policies, and methods for establishing an SLR-DFE. The authors found that the initiatives vary in author, water level measurement starting point, SLR scenario and timeframe, SLR adjustment, freeboard, design flood elevation, application (geography and building type), and whether it is required or recommended. The tables and graph compare the different initiatives, providing a useful summary for policymakers and practitioners to develop SLR-DFE standards. Full article

Increasing frequency and severity of urban flooding, driven by climate change and urban population growth, present major challenges. Traditional flood control infrastructure alone cannot fully prevent flood damage, highlighting the need for a comprehensive and multi-dimensional disaster management approach. This study proposes the Flood Risk Index for Building (FRIB)—a building-level assessment framework that integrates vulnerability, hazard, and exposure. FRIB assigns customized risk levels to individual buildings and evaluates the effectiveness of a multi-dimensional method. Compared to traditional indicators like flood depth, FRIB more accurately identifies high-risk areas by incorporating diverse risk factors. It also enables efficient resource allocation by excluding low-risk buildings, focusing efforts on high-risk zones. For example, in a case where 5124 buildings were targeted based on 1 m flood depth, applying FRIB excluded 24 buildings with “low” risk and up to 530 with “high” risk, reducing unnecessary interventions. Moreover, quantitative metrics like entropy and variance showed that as FRIB levels rise, flood depth distributions become more balanced—demonstrating that depth alone does not determine risk. In conclusion, while qualitative labels such as “very low” to “very high” aid intuitive understanding, FRIB’s quantitative, multi-dimensional approach enhances precision in urban flood management. Future research may expand FRIB’s application to varied regions, supporting tailored flood response strategies. Full article

The vulnerability framework developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines vulnerability as a function of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Building off this framework, the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) developed a Climate Change Vulnerability Index (CCVI) for the state of Connecticut, designed to integrate flood and extreme heat-related climate exposure with impacted socioeconomic, infrastructure, and ecological variables into a single comprehensive index that can guide resilience planning and prioritization at multiple levels. The index serves as a central component of the Resilient Connecticut project, a statewide initiative to advance climate adaptation and resilience planning through data-driven tools, community engagement, and strategies to address flood and heat risks across vulnerable communities. In this article, we detail the development of the CCVI, including earlier iterations, methodology, stakeholder engagement activities, and lessons learned that can impact resiliency planning in Connecticut. Preliminary statistical analyses, notable regional trends, data limitations, and future areas for research advancement are also discussed. The CCVI framework detailed here can be used in the process of identifying priority areas for intervention and supporting the selection and design of targeted resilience projects, and can also be adapted for other states. Full article

The flood risk of urban buildings has been continuously increasing, owing to the increasing frequency and severity of floods. There is an urgent need to implement precise mitigation strategies to address the unique characteristics of urban residential structures. In this study, an indicator system consisting of 17 indicators in four dimensions (extent of hazard, degree of exposure, vulnerability, and response ability) was developed for the flood risk of residential buildings. The assessment was conducted in Katsushika Ward, Tokyo, and the ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS(AHP)—Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) method was integrated with Geographic Information System(GIS) technology. The spatial distribution of residential flood risk exhibits marked heterogeneity, with ‘extremely high’ and ‘high’ risk areas concentrated in northwestern and southwestern riverine zones. These regions exhibit dense populations, substantial assets, deep immersion depths, prolonged inundation durations, high proportions of wooden houses, and narrow roads impeding rescue operations. The mitigation priorities are the following: Enhance flood-resistant building heights and quality in riverside areas, strengthen vacant house management, widen rescue access routes, promote mid-/high-rise buildings, and optimize subsidies for tenants and single-person households to minimize losses. Full article

Climate change significantly impacts agricultural infrastructure, particularly in communal land farming systems, where socio-economic vulnerabilities intersect with environmental stressors. This study examined the effects of extreme weather events (floods, droughts, strong winds, frost, and hail) on various agricultural infrastructures—including bridges, arable land, soil erosion control structures, dipping tanks, roads, and fences—using an ordered probit model. A survey was conducted using structured questionnaires between August and September 2023, collecting data from communal farmers (n = 60) in oKhahlamba Municipality, Bergville. Key results from respondents showed that roads (87%), bridges (85%), and both arable land and erosion structures were reported as highly affected by extreme weather events, especially flooding and frost. Gender, the type of farmer, access to climate information, and exposure to extreme weather significantly influenced perceived impact severity. The ordered probit regression model results reveal that drought (p = 0.05), floods (p = 0.1), strong winds (p = 0.05), and frost (p = 0.1) significantly influence the perceived impacts on infrastructure. Extreme weather events, including flooding (p = 0.012) and frost (p = 0.018), are critical drivers of infrastructure damage, particularly for smallholder farmers. Cumulative impacts—such as repeated infrastructure failure, access disruptions, and increased repair burdens—compound over time, further weakening resilience. The results underscore the urgent need for investments in flood-resilient roads and bridges, improved erosion control systems, and livestock water infrastructure. Support should also include gender-sensitive adaptation strategies, education on climate risk, and dedicated financial mechanisms for smallholder farmers. These findings contribute to global policy discourses on climate adaptation, aligning with SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger), 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and 13 (Climate Action), and offer actionable insights for building infrastructure resilience in vulnerable rural contexts. Full article

Under intensifying climate change impacts, accurate quantification of population exposure to urban flooding has become an imperative component of risk mitigation strategies, particularly when considering the dynamic nature of human mobility patterns. Previous assessments relying on neighborhood block-scale population estimates derived from conventional census data have been constrained by significant spatial aggregation errors. This study presents methodological advancements through the integration of social sensing data analytics, enabling unprecedented spatial resolution at the building scale while capturing real-time population dynamics. We developed an agent-based simulation framework that incorporates (1) building-based urban environment, (2) hydrodynamic flood modeling outputs, and (3) empirically grounded human mobility patterns derived from multi-source geospatial big data. The implemented model systematically evaluates transient population exposure through spatiotemporal superposition analysis of flood characteristics and human occupancy patterns across different urban functional zones in Lishui City, China. Firstly, multi-source points of interest (POIs) data are aggregated to acquire activated time of buildings, and an urban environment system at the building scale is constructed. Then, with population, buildings, and roads as the agents, and population behavior rules, activity time of buildings, and road accessibility as constraints, an agent-based model in an urban flood scenario is designed to dynamically simulate the distribution of population. Finally, the population dynamics of urban flood exposure under a flood scenario with a 50-year return is simulated. We found that the traditional exposure assessment method at the block scale significantly overestimated the exposure, which is four times of our results based on building scale. The proposed method enables a clearer portrayal of the disaster occurrence process at the urban local level. This work, for the first time, incorporates multi-source social sensing data and the triadic relationship between human activities, time, and space in the disaster process into flood exposure assessment. The outcomes of this study can contribute to estimate the susceptibility to urban flooding and formulate emergency response plans. Full article

Climate change has continued to cause severe coastal flooding, erosion, and storm surge in the northeastern U.S. region. Compounding the coastal storm challenge, this region also experienced multiple 1-in-100-, 1-in-200-, and 1-in-500-year rainfall events in 2024. In recent years, community-based flood risk management has become an important component for generating locally viable mitigation strategies to build environmental sustainability. At the heart of this community engagement paradigm is flood risk communication, which aims to bring together community stakeholders to strengthen their social resilience to collaborate in generating flood risk management solutions. Extant research has rarely examined the direct connection between theory-driven risk communication factors and community-based flood risk management. To better understand the role of risk communication in facilitating participatory flood risk management planning, this study integrated risk communication constructs with the relevant Health Belief Model components to propose and test a conceptual framework. Specifically, this study conducted a survey with 302 residents of a coastal community highly vulnerable to sea level rise, storm surge, and year-round flooding in the coastal region of northeastern U.S. Study results suggested that flood information exposure could drive greater perceived flood risk severity and mitigation barriers, in addition to furthering flood risk information-seeking behavior and affiliated community-engaged flood risk communication. Community-engaged communication was positively linked to perceived social efficacy beliefs in tackling flood risk management, aside from being linked to perceived flood risk mitigation response efficacy. Both perceived social efficacy and response efficacy in flood risk management positively predicted interest in participatory flood risk management planning. Full article

This study investigated the effectiveness of nature-based solutions (NBSs) as a resilient strategy for mitigating urban flood risks in a developing hot arid country. The research method included the following steps: (a) performing a flood hazard risk assessment for the Fifth Settlement district in New Cairo, Egypt, (b) selecting best-fit NBSs, and (c) performance assessment. The process started with flood hazard analysis using hydrological data, topographical maps, urban planning, and land use maps, in addition to the history of storm events. This step defined the urban areas located in flood depth zones and categorized their flood hazard level. Exposure assessment considered the number and characteristics of population and buildings exposed to flood hazards. Vulnerability assessment determined the vulnerable characteristics of exposed populations and buildings to flood risk. The result of this assessment step indicated that there were 2000 buildings distributed in almost twenty neighborhood areas facing high flood risk. One of these urban areas with 72 building units, including residential, public, and services buildings, was selected to test the potential of integrating NBSs for flood-resilient land use planning and disaster preparedness. The selection of best-fit NBSs was based on a weighted-average sum matrix considering their climatic and contextual suitability and applicability. As a final step, numerical simulation models helped assess the efficiency of the selected NBSs for stormwater runoff reduction and the percentage of the volume capture goal. Five simulation models tested the efficiency of each NBS individually. Rain gardens achieved the highest stormwater capture percentage, while green roofs performed the least effectively, with capture rates of 43.6% and 9.9%, respectively. Two more simulation models were developed to evaluate the efficiency of NBSs when implemented in combination compared to the base case of using no NBSs. Permeable paving demonstrated the highest effectiveness in volume capture. The result indicated that applying combined measures of NBSs over 54.1% of the total site area was able to capture 8% more than the required volume capture goal. Consequently, this study underscores the necessity of adopting tailored solutions and integrated approaches using NBSs for flood risk mitigation. This necessitates testing their performance under site-specific conditions and future climate projections. Full article

Urban flooding presents acute challenges in heritage cities, where dense populations and valuable cultural assets coexist. While Nature-Based Solutions (NbSs) have been widely studied, their implementation in heritage cities remains underexplored due to spatial constraints and cultural sensitivities. This study develops a quantitative evaluative framework integrating the Spatial Multi-Criteria Evaluation (SMCE) and NbSs to address urban flooding in Quanzhou, a UNESCO World Heritage site. In GIS-based spatial analysis, the framework prioritizes high-risk zones by synthesizing hydrological and socio-economic factors. The analysis reveals that the Surface Runoff Coefficient (SRC) contributes 30% to urban flooding exposure, with high building congestion and elevated PM2.5 levels exacerbating risks by 17% and 16.8%, respectively. Vulnerability mapping underscores the critical role of cultural heritage, accounting for 71.1% of the vulnerability index, and highlights priority townships such as Linjiang, Kaiyuan, and Lizhong, with integrated exposure and vulnerability rates of 11.8%, 10.3%, and 9.5%, respectively. This study proposes four NbS models tailored to heritage urban landscapes, with Solution I—direct surface infiltration—identified as the most applicable, covering 170.9 ha, followed by Solution II—subterranean stormwater infiltration—at 52.3 ha. Despite limited spatial feasibility (1.3–33.5% of township areas), the framework demonstrates significant potential for integrating NbSs with existing grey infrastructure, contributing to flood risk mitigation and broader sustainability goals. The findings provide actionable insights for urban planners and policymakers, offering a replicable methodology for the deployment of NbSs in heritage-rich urban contexts worldwide. By bridging flood risk management with cultural preservation, this work advances the discourse on resilient and sustainable urban planning. Full article