Work

The Influence of Urban Flooding on Residents’ Daily Travel: A Case Study of Macau with Proposed Ameliorative Strategies

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: Climate change has resulted in more extreme weather events in coastal cities, and understanding how daily life is impacted is crucial to make effective adaptation measures. Using Macau as a testbed, this research describes examines the impacts of flooding caused by storm surges on residents’ daily travel and proposes measures to ameliorate disaster risks. Spatial extents of urban floods were modelled through inundation simulations using geographical information data. An analysis of the travel distance increases from residents’ homes to common types of destinations was performed both under normal conditions and during flood events in GIS (Geographic Information System) to assess the influence of urban flooding on residents’ daily travel. The results show that one third of the land is threatened by floods in Macau. People’s average travel distance increases as the warning levels escalate, and travel distance is predicted to rise by up to 64.5%. Based on the findings, the study proposes mitigation strategies to minimize urban flooding’s impacts. It suggests that the area more densely populated is not necessarily the one requiring the deployment of preventative measures with the highest priority, as a traffic analysis is identified as the key area which demands disaster prevention measures.

Source: Water

DOI: 10.3390/w11091825

Authors: Kehong Li, Long Zhou

Institution: City University of Macau

Language: English

Topic: Flood Risk Assessment and Management

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Good health and well-being, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,621