Nature-Based Flood Storage Systems in Rivers: optimal positioning and performance assessment
Flood storage implemented as nature-based solutions represents an important component of flood and drought risk management while providing multiple environmental and societal benefits. However, current approaches used to design, operate, and maintain temporary flood storage systems remain fragmented, which limits their systematic implementation by municipalities and other stakeholders.
This thesis aims to improve the planning and assessment of nature-based flood storage solutions through integrated spatial analysis and evaluation methods. The research first benchmarks existing approaches and contributes to the development of a shared typology of temporary flood storage systems. It then develops automated spatial analysis and multi-criteria analysis methods to map candidate locations for establishing flood control areas.
In addition, this thesis investigates methods for assessing the effectiveness and robustness of flood retention measures under extreme flood conditions. Stress-testing approaches are explored to evaluate how such systems perform during severe flood events, and recommendations are formulated based on the results obtained at pilot study sites.
Through these developments, this thesis contributes methodological tools to support the identification, planning, and evaluation of nature-based flood storage solutions for improved flood risk management.
