Author(s): Beniamino Russo; Andrea Paindelli; Luca Locatelli; Daniel Yubero Pena

Linked Author(s): Beniamino russo, Andrea Paindelli

Keywords: Climate change; 1D/2D coupled drainage model; Model calibration; Crowdsourced social media; Disaster risk management

Abstract: The CRISI-ADAPT II (Climate Risk Information for SupportIng ADAptation Planning and operaTion, https://www.crisi-adapt2.eu/) is a research project funded by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology Climate-KIC with a budget of 2 M€. With a duration of 36 months (July 2019 – June 2022), the project is coordinated by Climate Research Foundation (FIC) and involves 11 partners. CRISI-ADAPT II aims to monitor and improve the adaptation planning through a real-time implementation and validation according to near and seasonal range forecast of climate risks in 4 Demonstration Sites and 8 Receiving Regions in 5 southern countries (Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Malta and Italy). Climate data and impact model outputs in a common platform are integrated into two main modules: the Climate Risk Information Tool (CRIT) and the Monitoring Extreme Events Tool (MEET). In this framework AQUATEC has lead the development of the flooding and impact models for the Malta case study. The Mediterranean Island suffers from Mesoscale Convective Storms and tropical cyclones capable of generating significant pluvial and coastal flooding. Heavy rainfalls characterized by short durations (usually less than one hour) are the most common pattern in this region, generating flash floods in urban areas and high waves on the shorelines. Malta Case Study main outcomes were focused on identifying drainage system weak points, to propose methodologies to cope with floods and to characterize its flooding history by exploring both open access and private databases. Due to the scarcity of historical official records, social media registries, known as Crowdsourced Social Data (CSD), were used as the main reference for the water depth during and after the events. Comparing the water footprint with measure of objects and structures such as vehicles wheels, trash cans, and benches, helped to calibrate the pluvial model. From the 95 strongest historical events happened in Malta from 1969 to 2020, the 5 having more spatial information were adopted in the process of model calibration and validation. Relevant photos obtained from CSD were organized and geolocated, offering a solid reference about the flood impacts in the most affected areas. Even when the analyzed records did not capture the most critical time of the event, they provided interesting indications regarding flood boundaries, main flow directions, and a broad idea about the damage to roads, vehicles, and real estate assets. It is clear how much these types of amateur records could offer a solid support for events characterizations and more specific as reference for flood model calibration. The validated models have been used to assess tangible and intangible damages due to extreme rainfall and storm surge events and the potential exacerbating effects related to the reference climate change scenarios.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3850/IAHR-39WC2521711920221669

Year: 2022