Nature-based solutions for flood hazard mitigation: A new analytical framework

Keywords: Nature-bases solutions, urban flooding, equity, productivity, spatial dimension
Abstract Type: Virtual Paper Abstract

Abstract

Urban floods are becoming more severe, lasting longer, and occurring more frequently because of changes in climate, rapid urbanization, and human demographics globally. Although traditional structural flood mitigation infrastructure (e.g., drainage systems, levees) are effective in urban areas, their functionalities in the face of extreme rainfall events and increased development largely depend on the capacity and location of such systems, making complementary solutions such as vegetated areas important. Over the two last decades, several studies have suggested different adaptation and mitigation policies to reduce the risk associated with urban flooding in complex socio-ecological systems. However, the success of these adaptation strategies depends on their abilities to promote equity, efficiency, effectiveness, and legitimacy factors over time and scale.
To support the above concerns regarding a growing stream of nature-based hazard mitigation, this article seeks to develop a novel analytical framework to analyze flood responsive nature-based solutions through incorporating equity, productivity, and structure measurements. The framework developed in this study can provide an implicative and normative tool for analyzing the functionality of nature-based solutions in floodplains management and planning by integrating landscape ecology, place-based vulnerability (social and biophysical vulnerability), and environmental equity perspectives.