Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Flood Risk Management: Global Perspectives

Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Flood Risk Management: Global Perspectives

*Salah Uddin Ahmed Dipu., Nabodoy Saha Snigdhya

Chittagong University of Engineering & Technology Bangladesh

*Corresponding Author

DOI: https://doi.org/10.51244/IJRSI.2024.1109021

Received: 25 August 2024; Accepted: 30 August 2024; Published: 28 September 2024

ABSTRACT

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of floods, making it critical to incorporate adaptation techniques into flood risk management plans. This research reviews present worldwide approaches in flood risk management. Recent studies show that non-structural adaptation strategies include early warning systems, natural-based solutions, and climate-resilient infrastructure are growingly important. Global case studies include those from Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa show situational answers and several approaches. While many places have made progress, some of the challenges still preventing the integration of climate change adaptation are budgetary constraints, convoluted government, and little data. This study underlines the need of a multidisciplinary strategy and more worldwide cooperation to appropriately control flood hazards in an environment changing.

Keywords: Flood Risk Management, Flood Resilience, Adaptation Strategies, Nature base solution.

INTRODUCTION

Among the most terrible natural disasters worldwide, floods cause major environmental damage, human death, and financial losses [1]. Integration of climate change adaptation techniques into flood risk management is necessary given the growing influence of climate change and the predicted rise in the frequency and intensity of floods. Emphasizing methods, obstacles, and best practices, this literature review investigates the present worldwide viewpoints on including climate change adaptation into flood risk management.

The Impact of Climate Change on Flood Risk

Climate change has a big effect on the risk of flooding, as shown by many studies. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says that climate change will cause rain and snow to fall more often and with more force, which will increase the risk of flooding in many areas of the world [2]. Rising sea levels are also likely to make flooding along the coast worse, especially in low-lying areas and small island nations [3].

Studies clearly show that climate change is linked to higher flood risks, mainly because of more and stronger rain events [4].Rising sea levels make coastal areas more likely to flood, and studies show that coastal towns will be affected by this in a big way by the end of the century [5].

Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in Flood Risk Management

Adapting to climate change as part of managing flood risk means implementing techniques that make people more resilient and less likely to be affected by future floods. Several adaptation techniques have been used around the world.

Measures for Structure Building structures like dikes, levees, and flood barriers are old ways of protecting against flooding that have been changed to work with climate change. As part of the “Room for the River” project in the Netherlands, floodplains are being built and rivers are being widened to handle higher water levels [6].

Measures That Aren’t Structural Land-use planning, early warning systems, and community-based adaptation are all examples of non-structural methods. More and more people are realizing that these steps are essential for long-term development. As an example, Japan has made its communities more resilient by combining improved flood forecasting and early warning systems with community involvement [7].

Solutions Based on Nature: Nature-based solutions use natural processes to control the risk of flooding. Some of these are restoring waterways, planting trees, restoring wetlands, creating areas to hold water, getting rid of obstacles, and bringing old waterways back to life,. building green infrastructure. People think that Nature-based solutions are long-lasting and cost-effective, and they might even offer extra benefits like protecting wildlife and storing carbon [8].

Challenges in Integrating Climate Change Adaptation into Flood Risk Management

Despite the progress made, several challenges hinder the effective integration of climate change adaptation into flood risk management.

Financial Constraints The implementation of adaptation measures often requires significant financial investment, which can be a barrier for developing countries. Access to funding and the allocation of resources are critical issues that need to be addressed [9]

Governance and Policy Integration Effective integration requires coordination across various levels of government and sectors. The lack of clear governance structures and the fragmentation of responsibilities can impede adaptation efforts [10].

Knowledge and Data Gaps Accurate data and climate projections are essential for effective flood risk management. However, in many regions, there is a lack of reliable data, which hampers the development of robust adaptation strategies [11].

Global Case Studies

Several case studies illustrate the diverse approaches to integrating climate change adaptation into flood risk management.

Asia: Bangladesh, a country highly susceptible to flooding due to its geographic location and low-lying topography, has become a global example of how to manage flood risks through a combination of adaptation strategies. IT has developed a range of adaptation strategies, including community-based early warning systems and climate-resilient infrastructure [12].

Early Warning Systems in the Community: In Bangladesh, community-based early warning systems (EWS) involve local people in keeping an eye on things and spreading flood alerts. These systems are meant to make sure that tips get to the most vulnerable people, especially those who live in areas that are hard to get to or are in remote areas. Volunteers in the community often play a big part in these systems. They use easy tools like megaphones and cell phones to get the word out [13].

Communication and Dissemination: Once a flood warning is given, it is shared through community networks, radio, TV, SMS, and social media. This multi-channel approach makes sure that people get information quickly, so they can move quickly, like moving to higher ground or leaving areas that are likely to be damaged.

Buildings that can handle climate change: Building Raised Homes and Shelters: To keep floodwaters out, many homes are built on raised platforms or stilts in flood-prone places. The government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have also built a lot of elevated flood shelters that are made to resist bad weather. These shelters are placed in a way that makes them ideal for housing a lot of people during floods

Flood Control Structures and Embankments: Bangladesh has a large network of dikes, levees, and embankments that keep farmland and towns from flooding. These buildings are regularly checked and, in some cases, made stronger to survive the stronger floods that are expected because of climate change [14].

How to Drain Water and Keep It from Flooding: Cities like Dhaka have spent money to improve their sewage systems so that they can handle heavy rain and keep cities from flooding. In rural places, flood-proofing measures like building roads on stilts and planting crops that don’t get damaged by water help people keep their jobs [15].

Sustainable methods for farming: Crops That Can Survive Floods: More and more farmers in Bangladesh are planting flood-tolerant rice and other crop types that can survive being submerged. These crops are very important for making sure there is food during and after floods. People who live in places that flood a lot have set up floating gardens, also called “baira,” which are boats made from water hyacinth or bamboo that are used to grow plants. These fields can float on floodwaters, so they can keep giving people food and money even when the flooding lasts for a long time [16].

Support from policymakers and institutions: National Flood Action Plan: Bangladesh has put in place a National Flood Action Plan that includes rules for managing flood risk, building up infrastructure, and coming up with community-based ways to react to flooding. Both government programs and foreign aid back up this plan [17].

Community Training and Capacity Building: Communities are constantly being taught how to be ready for and respond to disasters. Building up local skills to run and handle early warning systems and keep up climate-resilient infrastructure is a common goal of programs.

North America: The United States The United States has implemented various adaptation measures, such as managed retreat and the use of green infrastructure, to mitigate flood risks in vulnerable areas like New York and Louisiana.

Managed Retreat: In managed retreat, homes, businesses, and infrastructure are moved out of dangerous areas and to safer, higher land. This method is thought of when the cost of keeping an area safe from flooding becomes too high to bear or when restoring land to its original state would be better for the environment than continuing to develop it [18].

As an example in New York: A lot of towns in New York chose managed retreat after Hurricane Sandy in 2012. For example, on Staten Island, the government started buyout programs so that people who lived in places that were likely to flood could sell their homes to the state. Then, these places were turned back into natural wetlands or open space. These can soak up floodwaters and lower the risk for people living nearby [19].

Examples from Louisiana: Managed retreat has been a very important way for Louisiana to deal with shoreline erosion and rising sea levels. The state’s Coastal Master Plan has projects that urge people to move away from areas that are very vulnerable. Native Americans lived on the Isle de Jean Charles, which is a famous example of a place where people had to move because the island was sinking and getting smaller [20].

Green infrastructure: It is when natural or mostly natural methods are used to handle water and lower the risk of flooding. This can include things like urban parks, wetlands, green roofs, and pavements that let water pass through but don’t let it move too fast.

Examples in New York: Green infrastructure is used a lot to deal with floods in New York City. The city has done a lot of work on many projects, like making green streets and putting in rain gardens, bioswales, and green roofs. These features help soak up rain, lower runoff, and keep the city’s combined sewer system from getting too full during big storms, which could cause floods and water pollution [21].

In Louisiana, some examples: Green infrastructure is an important part of Louisiana’s plans to prevent flooding. Key parts of the state’s Coastal Master Plan are restoring and protecting wetlands, which naturally protect against storm waves. Wetlands can hold a lot of water, which lessens the damage from storm surges and protects inland places very well during hurricanes and floods [22].

Federal and State Initiatives: These steps to change are backed by both the federal and state governments, which provide policies and money for them. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) both support green infrastructure through different programs. FEMA gives funds to managed retreat projects also gives insurance to the affected people. In addition, state governments, especially those in coastal areas like New York and Louisiana, have made big plans that include managed retreat and green infrastructure as part of their overall strategies for managing storm risk [23].

Engaging with the Community: Strong community involvement is often needed for these tactics to be put into action successfully. Local governments and groups work with locals to make sure that managed retreat is fair and that green building projects meet the needs of the community. Public awareness efforts and planning processes where people can take part are important for getting people on board and making sure that these steps work and last.

Africa: Community-Based Adaptation In Africa, community-based adaptation strategies have been crucial in managing flood risks. These strategies often involve the use of traditional knowledge and local resources to enhance resilience [24].

Use of Traditional Knowledge: To predict and prepare for floods, many African communities depend on traditional knowledge that has been passed down from generation to generation. For instance, in many parts of West Africa, people use traditional methods to figure out when floods will happen by watching things like how animals act, which plants bloom, and how rivers move. With this information, they can get ready for floods by putting up walls, moving animals, and saving food [25].

Utilization of Local Resources: To build flood barriers, communities use resources that are available in their area. In some places, for example, people build earthen banks, plant trees along riverbanks to stop erosion, and dig channels to direct floods elsewhere. Most of the time, these steps are long-lasting, cost-effective, and fit the surroundings and economy of the area [26].

Community Participation and Leadership: Community benefit agreements (CBAs) stress that the whole community should be involved in making decisions. This method includes everyone, so adaptation measures are culturally appropriate and accepted by most people. Most of the time, local leaders or community groups plan and carry out flood response activities. This gives people in the community a sense of ownership and duty.

Some examples of how CBA works:

Niger River Basin: People who live in the Niger River Basin have come up with very advanced ways to handle floodplains. They do controlled flooding, which means they flood some places on purpose to keep the soil fertile and fish populations high, which is important for their way of life [27].

Mozambique: People who live in places that are likely to flood in Mozambique use a mix of old and new methods to deal with flooding. The people build raised homes and use radio networks to get storm warnings, which lets them leave early [28].

Europe: The EU Floods Directive The EU Floods Directive is a key example of policy-driven integration of climate adaptation into flood risk management. It mandates that member states consider future climate scenarios in their flood risk assessments and management plans. • The directive has been successful in integrating climate adaptation into flood risk management across Europe [15].

Climate-Integrated Risk Mapping: The regulation tells member states they need to make flood risk maps that show not only the current flood risks but also the risks that might happen in the future because of climate change. One way to do this is to look at how extreme weather, rising sea levels and changing trends of rainfall affect the risk of flooding [29].

Finding Vulnerable Areas: The order requires finding areas that are likely to flood a lot. These are called Areas of Potential Significant Flood Risk (APSFR). These places need to be given more attention for more thorough evaluations and plans for managing the risk of flooding [29].

Transnational Collaboration: The directive stresses the importance of transnational collaboration in managing flood risk because many rivers in Europe flow through more than one country. Member states that share a river basin must work together on their flood risk assessments and control plans to make sure that they all work together to lower the risk of flooding [30].

For example, the basin of the Rhine River: Cross-border cooperation works well in the Rhine River Basin, which is made up of Germany, France, and the Netherlands, among other countries. Countries have worked together to make unified plans for managing flood risk that take climate change into account. This has led to better and more integrated flood protection measures.

Inclusive Planning Process: The order requires member states to include the public and other important people in the process of making and implementing plans for managing flood risk. This way of working with people makes sure that the plans include the wants and concerns of those who will be most affected by floods and that most people agree with the suggested ways to adapt [31]

Regular Reporting: Member states have to keep everyone up to date on how they’re doing with following the directive. These reports have new versions of flood risk maps, control plans, and steps that have been taken to adapt to climate change. The European Commission makes sure that member states are following the rules and gives them advice to make sure they do so [31].

Successes of the EU Floods Directive: Many member states have been able to successfully incorporate climate adaptation into their flood risk management plans, which has made them stronger and more forward-looking. Some examples of implementation are

The Netherlands: The Netherlands is known for having very good flood management systems. The order has helped them make their national water management policies even more climate-friendly by focusing on “Room for the River” projects that let natural floodplains grow [32].

Germany: Several of Germany’s major river basins, like those that hold the Rhine, Elbe, and Danube, have full flood control plans in place. These plans are meant to deal with both the current risk of flooding and the problems that climate change will cause in the future. Structured steps, like dikes and lakes, are used in Germany, but so are non-structural steps, like planning how land is used and restoring natural floodplains [33].

DISCUSSION

Integrating adapting to climate change into managing flood risk is a difficult task that needs an effective approach that includes both structural and non-structural measures. The review shows that even though the world has made a lot of progress, these methods don’t always work well in different places because of differences in geography, economy, and society.

In places like the Netherlands and Japan, structural changes like building flood walls, widening rivers, and levees have been very important. But these steps need to be updated and changed all the time to deal with the growing risks that climate change brings. The Dutch “Room for the River” project shows how changing existing infrastructure to handle higher water levels can successfully lower the risk of flooding. But relying only on structural measures can be limited, since they might not be enough to deal with climate events that have never happened before.

Non-structural adaptations are becoming more and more important for long-term adaptability. In places like Bangladesh and Japan, early warning systems, land-use planning, and community-based adaptation methods have worked well. However these steps need strong governance structures and good coordination between different levels of government and industries. Bangladesh is a good example of how combining traditional knowledge with modern technology can make these methods work better, especially in places with few resources.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are a long-lasting and low-cost way to control the risk of flooding. Flood risks can be reduced by restoring wetlands, planting trees, and building green infrastructure. These actions also have other benefits, like protecting wildlife and storing carbon. These solutions work especially well in places where normal building methods are either too expensive or bad for the environment. But for NbS to be successfully implemented, a lot of money needs to be spent on studying, building up people’s skills, and getting stakeholders involved.

Even with these improvements, there are still some problems with combining response to climate change with managing the risk of flooding. Lack of money is still a big problem, especially in developing countries that don’t have many of the tools they need for adaptation. Governance and policy integration are also very important problems. In many places, the different levels and areas of government don’t work together as well as they should. Also, gaps in understanding and data make it harder to come up with good adaptation plans, especially in places where climate data is hard to come by or not reliable.

The case studies from Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa show that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, successful adaptation needs methods that are tailored to the local environment and economy. For example, the EU Floods Directive is a strong set of rules that has made it possible for climate resilience to be a part of managing flood risk across Europe. In Africa, on the other hand, community-based methods stress how important it is to use local knowledge and creativity to deal with flood risks.

CONCLUSION

Adaptation to climate change must be a part of flood risk management in order to lower the growing dangers that climate change poses. This review stresses how important it is to take a complete approach that includes both structural and non-structural measures, with a focus on answers that come from nature. In many parts of the world, success has been made, but there are still big problems, especially when it comes to funding, government, and getting data.

To deal with these problems, countries need to work together, share information, and build each other’s skills more. Better financial tools should be used to help developing countries adapt, which is usually where the need is highest. Also, making climate data more accessible and accurate is very important for coming up with good adaptation plans. Lastly, combining adaptation to climate change with flood risk management needs strong governance frameworks that make it easier for different levels and areas of government to work together.

In conclusion, the road ahead is hard, but there is hope for a better future because more people are realizing how important it is to react to climate change in managing flood risk. It is possible to protect fragile communities around the world from floods caused by climate change by learning from global best practices and coming up with new ideas all the time.

Declaration by Authors

Ethical Approval: Approved

Acknowledgement: None

Source of Funding: None

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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