Surface water flood risk and resilience
October 18, 2018
In this blog Emily O’Donnell reports on the key messages from the CIWEM (Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management) Surface Water Management 2018 conference (17th October). The aim of the conference was to provide a review of the progress of flood risk management, resilience and response in the UK since the publication of the …
Using System Dynamics for Sustainable Water Management in Ebbsfleet: Part 3
October 2, 2018
This blog continues from Part 2 and presents a preliminary causal loop diagram created by the research team using the metrics and variables identified by the stakeholders in the last three workshops. It should be stressed that this is an iterative process. This will be presented to the stakeholders, whom will reiterate it over the next …
SUDSnet International conference and network
September 18, 2018
In this blog Vladimir Krivtsov shares his very positive impressions of the recent SUDSnet conference, which he had the pleasure to attend at the end of August 2018. It took place at Coventry University, and was dedicated to the celebration of 15 years of SUDSnet’s existence. SUDSnet is a UK-wide network for researchers, practitioners, agencies, developers …
Human-Environment Interactions and the El Niño Costero floods in Piura, Northern Peru
September 14, 2018
In this blog, Leon Kapetas discusses flooding, vulnerability and risk management in Piura, Peru. When Piura’s civil protection team asked residents to evacuate their villages in Piura’s river floodplain, they hesitated to leave. They knew that a flood was going to arrive soon and put themselves and their properties at risk, but they also knew …
Using System Dynamics for Sustainable Water Management in Ebbsfleet: Part 2
September 12, 2018
In a previous blog (System Dynamics Part 1), we gave a presentation of the Ebbsfleet case study, summarised what delivering a System Dynamics model could entail and began the process of developing the model by defining the problem. In this blog post, we will go over the next step, the definition of metrics and variables, while …
Aligning ancient and modern approaches to sustainable urban water management in China
July 13, 2018
Flood prevention and risk management is high on the state agenda in China, owing in part to disastrous large-scale flooding in Beijing in 2012. Rather than solely relying on increasingly larger piped (grey) infrastructure, there has been investment in more natural approaches to manage stormwater, utilising blue and green infrastructure and sustainable drainage systems (SuDS). …
Reflections on the BRE Resilience Summit
March 26, 2018
In this blog, Jessica Lamond reports on an inspiring mix of Blue-Green, traditional and innovative ideas for resilience at the BRE resilience summit last month. Blue Green Landscaping Rebecca Taylor JTP Architects spoke on their home for all seasons (Figure 1) and about resilient development. She reflected on the large proportion of their portfolio that …
Using System Dynamics for Sustainable Water Management in Ebbsfleet: Part 1
March 5, 2018
In this blog, the first in a series on the use of system dynamics for developing a sustainable urban water management strategy in Ebbsfleet, colleagues from across the Urban Flood Resilience consortium outline plans for using this novel participatory technique, and report on the outcomes of the first modelling workshop. Introduction and case study site …
Urban Fluvial Geomorphology
January 23, 2018
After completing her PhD in fluvial geomorphology at Cranfield University together with Arup and Leeds City Council on the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme, Kim joined the EPSRC Urban Flood Resilience research consortium in October 2017. In this blog post, she reflects on how insights from fluvial geomorphology can be applied to the urban environment in …
The Need for Multi-functional Design
January 16, 2018
In this blog, Dick Fenner examines how the multi-functional design of sustainable drainage systems can enhance the multiple benefits they can produce across an urban landscape. Introduction Urban drainage systems that incorporate elements of green infrastructure (SuDS/GI) are central features in Blue-Green and Sponge Cities. Such approaches provide effective control of stormwater management whilst generating …
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