Testing innovative technologies to manage flood risk

Abstract

This paper reports on a multi-disciplinary research project which investigated, developed and tested innovative technologies to protect buildings and urban infrastructure from floods. The paper discusses testing parameters, the limitations of technologies, and the barriers that impede their uptake.

Analysing the Effects of Flood-Resilience Technologies in Urban Areas Using a Synthetic Model Approach

“…Concepts to improve the urban resilience base on more integrative and sustainable approaches considering relevant functions of urban systems and their interactions [9][10][11][12]. In consequence, both research and legislation have been reinforcing a more holistic view on each part of the disaster management cycle to improve existing solutions and to develop new options reducing current and future flood risks, which also include environmental, societal and economic perspectives [11,[13][14][15][16].…”

Introduction to the special issue on adaptive flood risk management

“…impediments, to a lack of policy coordination, and cultural, social, and economic barriers (see White 2013;Connelly et al 2015). Technical and engineering limitations pose a major challenge, providing a reminder of the importance of ensuring that 'solutions' are carefully integrated into societal contexts.…”

Editorial

“…I believe we amply achieved this in this issue. With contributions from the USA (Deatrick, 2015), Thailand (Chinnarasri and Porkaew, 2015), The Netherlands (van Veelen et al, 2015), France (Balsells et al, 2015;Cheetham et al, 2015) as well as the UK (Connelly et al, 2015), this is also a truly international issue, demonstrating the wide-ranging topicality of flood resilience.van Veelen et al (2015) explore how flexible approaches to urban planning can help in coping with the long-term changes imposed by changing climates and increased urbanisation of waterfronts.They argue that methods such as the Adaptive Pathways (AP) (including the Adaptation Tipping Point concept) can contribute to more resilient urban waterfront development. Two areas of Rotterdam are presented as examples of application combining coastal and fluvial flood risk, where the AP was found to be an effective tool.…”

“…I believe we amply achieved this in this issue. With contributions from the USA (Deatrick, 2015), Thailand (Chinnarasri and Porkaew, 2015), The Netherlands (van Veelen et al, 2015), France (Balsells et al, 2015;Cheetham et al, 2015) as well as the UK (Connelly et al, 2015), this is also a truly international issue, demonstrating the wide-ranging topicality of flood resilience.…”

“…Balsells et al (2015) also raise some question, to be addressed in following stages of their research: how can flood risk be integrated into the design of new or retrofitted neighbourhoods; what functional, technical and conceptual innovations are appropriate in neighbourhoods; what new amenities and forms of housing and public spaces offer new uses and ways of living with water? Connelly et al (2015) approach flood resilience from a different angle, focusing on building resilience technologies -a developing market that can complement large-scale flood defences, planning and other flood-management approaches. The paper reports on an EU-FP7-funded multi-disciplinary research project (SmarTest) which investigated, developed and tested innovative technologies to protect buildings and urban infrastructure from floods, concentrating on building aperture technologies and perimeter technologies.…”