Design of a flood bypass tunnel for Valkenburg aan de Geul: Operation and hydraulic design to reduce the risk of flooding

Between July 12 and 15, 2021, extreme rainfall in Luxembourg, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands caused severe flooding. The total damage in the Netherlands is estimated to be between € 350 and € 600 million, with Valkenburg aan de Geul suffering the most damage. The economic and tourist heart of this city is located in the lowest part of the...

Multi-objective Optimisation Framework for Assessment of Trade-Offs between Benefits and Co-benefits of Nature-based Solutions

Urbanization and climate change are producing an escalation in the prevalence of urban problems, particularly those connected to flooding, prompting authorities and stakeholders to recognize the need for sustainable solutions. Nature-Based Solutions are progressively replacing traditional engineering solutions as an alternative since they are...

Flood risk reduction for Galveston Bay: Preliminary design of a coastal barrier system

Many coastal areas around the world are densely populated and at risk from flooding, but utilize different strategies to deal with coastal hazard. This chapter summarizes how Dutch concepts for coastal flood risk reduction have been explored for Galveston Bay. Firstly, it is shown how risk-based screening methods can help to evaluate various...

Planning and Suitability Assessment of Large-scale Nature-based Solutions for Flood-risk Reduction

Adverse effects of climate change are increasing around the world and the floods are posing significant challenges for water managers. With climate projections showing increased risks of storms and extreme precipitation, the use of traditional measures alone is no longer an option. Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) offer a suitable alternative to...

Recovery Capacity: To Build Back Better

The ambition to Build Back Better after a serious flood disaster is a complex challenge. A comprehensive, multi-disciplinary redevelopment planning process is required to reduce the flood risk and meanwhile create sustainable solutions that bring added value to society every day. General planning principles can be formulated on how to develop...

Incorporating stakeholders’ preferences into a multi-criteria framework for planning large-scale Nature-Based Solutions

Hydro-meteorological risks are a growing issue for societies, economies and environments around the world. An effective, sustainable response to such risks and their future uncertainty requires a paradigm shift in our research and practical efforts. In this respect, Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) offer the potential to achieve a more effective...

Evaluation of flood risk reduction strategies through combinations of interventions

Large, complex coastal regions often require a combination of interventions to lower the risk of flooding to an acceptable level. In practice, a limited number of strategies are considered and interdependencies between interventions are often simplified. This paper presents the Multiple Lines of Defence Optimization System (MODOS)‐model. This...

Development of a Standard Testing Framework for Evaluating Temporary Flood Barriers

Floods are the costliest and deadliest weather-related disaster globally. With higher population density in flood prone areas, increased urban development, and projected climate impacts, the frequency and severity of flooding in Europe is predicted to rise. While permanent flood defences have been shown to be more economically effective and...

Optimization of flood risk reduction through multiple lines of defence

loods can have a huge impact on the regions they affect. The impact of these disasters can be reduced with a flood risk management system. Flood-prone regions often require a combination of interventions to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. The amount of risk reduction provided by various interventions can be quantified using probabilistic...

Delta Interventions: Design and Engineering in Urban Water Landscapes

This book presents a selection of research-by-design projects developed in the Delta Interventions Studio at the Delft University of Technology, including a short overview of all graduation projects from 2009-2015, and reflections by senior scholars. We hope this book will inspire others working on delta issues and designing interventions. The...

Building-with-Nature Solutions for Hurricane Flood Risk Reduction in Galveston Bay, Texas: Conceptual Design Study

The enormous damage caused by hurricane Ike in the year 2008 has been the main incentive for several structural flood risk reduction plans in the Houston-Galveston Bay area. One of them is the ’Ike Dike’, a large-scale coastal barrier which closes Galveston Bay to prevent penetration of hurricane surges. A momentum gain for flood risk reduction...

Delft Delta Design: The Houston Galveston Bay Region, Texas, USA

In 2008, Hurricane Ike devastated Bolivar Peninsula, narrowly missing the more heavily industrialized and populated areas in the region. In the aftermath of the hurricane, the Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters (SSPEED) Center at Rice University in Houston, and Texas A&M University in Galveston (TAMUG) led...

Storm surge barrier Tokyo Bay: Analysis on a system level and conceptual design

Tokyo Bay is an area exposed to storm surges generated by typhoons. Consequently lowlands along its coastline are subject to flood risk. Dike walls, levees and barriers have been developed by the Japanese to protect these coastal areas. In the coming decades it is expected that a rise in sea level will occur. Also, climate change is expected to...

The Bolivar Roads Surge Barrier: A conceptual design for the environmental section

In response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Ike to the Galveston Bay Area, Texas, United States in September 2008, several proposals emerged to protect the region against future storm surges. One of them is a coastal spine called the ’Ike Dike’. A challenge for this 160 km [100 mi] long flood protection is to cross Bolivar Roads, a 2.8 km...

Hurricane Surge Risk Reduction For Galveston Bay

More than five years after Hurricane Ike devastated the Galveston Bay Area, the most critical challenge remains; reducing flood vulnerability. In response to Hurricane Ike’s disastrous impact, several structural flood risk reduction strategies have been proposed. Some advocating local solutions, others advocating system-wide coastal barriers....

Report Galveston Bay: Flood Risk Reduction Barrier

The objective of this study is to provide suitable candidate solutions for a storm surge barrier in the Bolivar Roads as part of the Ike Dike system and provide recommendations for further research.

Dam break modelling, risk assessment and uncertainty analysis for flood mitigation

In this thesis a range of modelling techniques is explored to deal effectively with flood risk management. In particular, attention is paid to floods caused by failure of hydraulic structures such as dams and dikes. The methods considered here are applied for simulating dam and dike failure events, flood water routing in downstream areas, and...