Heejun Chang - Climate Change and Urban Flood Vulnerability Assessment

Authors

Heejun Chang - Portland State University

Body

Climate change in the Pacific Northwest is likely to bring more heavy winter precipitations. Urban areas are particularly vulnerable to increases in extreme precipitation as most critical infrastructures are located in flood-prone areas. We investigated how future flood water level and spatial extent of flooded area may shift under different climate change scenarios in the mainstem of the Willamette River basin in Oregon. Using archival river data and flood maps, we first developed and calibrated two modelling tools, Delft 3D and HEC-RAS. The simulations allow us to re-assess present-day and historical flood risk. Next, we created synthetic scenarios of sea level rise and flow increase and projected future changes in flooded areas under each scenario. Finally, we assessed vulnerable infrastructure and people under different combinations of scenarios. With explicit engagement of local stakeholders throughout the research process, our collaborative work has direct implications for urban flood risk assessment.

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