Development of a framework for the design of robust nature-based solutions for hydro meteorological risk deduction | |
| Author | Mashiyi, Sipho Sethu |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.UWEM-21-05 |
| Subject(s) | Hydrometeorological services Climatic changes--Social aspects |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Urban Water Engineering and Management Jointly offered by Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, The Netherlands |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | Societies are facing an increasing number of climate change-based challenges, including enhanced hydrometeorological risk (HMR). This risk is further exacerbated by rapid urban development and ecosystem degradation. A common approach to mitigating HMR has been the construction of grey infrastructure systems that prioritise social and economic needs over long-term ecosystem functions. These engineering structures cannot offer complete protections against HMR, as these systems are unable to respond and recover from disturbances that exceed their design criteria. In this context, Nature-based Solutions (NBS) have exhibited HMR reduction potential and multifunctionality. Therefore, this research proposes a framework for the design of robust NBS that are preferred within their local landscape and utilise opportunities offered by the local environment to reduce HMR. The proposed Design Framework integrates existing multidisciplinary concepts, approaches, methods, and tools already utilized for flood and drought risk reduction with spatial planning to address NBS selection and implementation uncertainties. The Design framework also adapts concepts from water and wastewater engineering to enable the design of a robust NBS and introduces methods from flood risk management to evaluate and quantify the robustness of an NBS. To illustrate the efficacy of the robust design and evaluation part of the framework, it is applied to the Nong Sua District in Pathum Thani Province, Thailand. The initial robust analysis of the existing NBS, which involved the construction of a response curve, allowed for a quantifiable visualisation of the robustness offered by the NBS. The robustness of the existing NBS was further enhanced by incorporating structural measures into the biophysical structure to create a robust NBS. This additional robustness allowed for a flood peak discharge of a 1:100-year flood event to be discharged into the Western Raphiphat canal and the water level in canal to be managed at a predefined performance level. The robust NBS was also able to achieve increased hydraulic performance of the drainage system and efficiently use the hydraulic capacity of the irrigation furrows in the agricultural area |
| Year | 2021 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) + School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Department of Civil and Infrastucture Engineering (DCIE) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Urban Water Engineering and Management (UWEM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Sutat Weesakul;Vojinovic, Zoran (Co-Chairperson); |
| Examination Committee(s) | Babel, Mukand S.;Xue, Wenchao; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands/NUFFIC/IHE Delft;Asian Institute of Technology; |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology - IHE, 2021 |