OAL Ireland
Hydro-meteorological Hazard in focus- Floods
Ringsend Dublin
(OAL-Ireland Site)
Economical Importance of OAL-IE (Dublin)
Major Floods in Dublin in the past 6 decades
(Ref: Dublin City Development Plan: Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA), Volume 7)
Types of Nature-based solutions (NBS) to mitigate floods
Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model were used to simulate streamflow with and without the NBS. This model is a physically-based rainfall-runoff model that requires Land use map, Soil map, Rainfall, Maximum and Minimum Temperature, Wind speed, Relative Humidity and Solar Radiation as input and simulates Surface runoff, Subsurface runoff and Groundwater recharge. A parking lot (gray)was changed to grassland (green) as hypothetical NBS for this simulation study. Changes in Surface runoff and combined subsurface runoff+groundwater recharge with and without NBS at two locations were obtained. An NBS can be considered effective in situations where surface runoff reduces (negative change), which subsurface runoff and groundwater recharge increases (positive change).
Reduction in flood runoff due to Green Roof using simulation study
Simulation study showing inundated area with rise in waterlevel
Existing Green Roof in an office building at Dublin
Existing Green Roof in a residential building at Dublin
Currently performing laboratory test to validate effectiveness of green roofs in reducing floods obtained using simulation studies
Sensors using in Lab test for monitoring:
Variables: Rainfall, Temperature, Wind speed, Solar radiation, Relative Humidity, Soil Moisture Content
Co-design with local community to co-develop a locally attuned NBS solution
Have been working with DCC conduct workshop with local authorities to gain knowledge of their understanding on flood risk.
A design thinking based approach was undertaken to understand the general perspective of the people on Nature based solutions.
Gathered information on nature based solutions, its various types, the characteristics, the suitability of deployment that can be used for designing a flood mitigation system.
A brainstorming session was conducted where various conceptual interconnection of flooding with roads, flooding and buildings, flooding and women, flooding and children, flooding and seasons were some of the key highlights.
In contact with a school at Ringsend to develop awareness of flood risk
Explain the flood risk and importance of developing flood resilience through simple models and animations and using toys (lego)
Citizens shared previous experiences it was also important to understand how it can shape the expectations they have from new flood protection schemes.
Citizens had discussion as to how as citizens they can be proactive in dialogue and co-creation process of new policies for flood control.
A detailed discussion was carried out with regard to the challenges involved in the deployment of NBS process.
The doubts the citizens had as to whether it will be possible to carry out the co-creation sessions were noted.
An exercise was to vote and invest the type of nature based solution they feel is more relevant why and what time maintenance they can come with to maintain it in the future.
Post-it notes from previous sessions as inputs were used in the planning process and continuously we used whiteboards for outlining and noting their plans and thoughts.
The workshop has incorporated the use of LEGO building blocks to understand the relationship between the build components of the area, the environmental factors contributing to floods and the impact it has on human lives through a synthesised system.
The synthesized models can build up possible simulation scenarios to understand what level and extent of flooding can possibly impact upto what level of damages in the area and to type of behavioural pattern may be observed from the people.
This way alternate remedies can be helped to explore to prevent flood damages in real life by adapting a resilient physical model, cognitive preparedness of the people and effective environmental policies.
