The effects of climate change are expected to increase the frequency and magnitude of floods, droughts and heat waves. An emerging method termed adaptation tipping point – opportunity (ATP-O) assesses a system's climate-incurred tipping points and uses opportunities arising from urban developments to introduce adaptation strategies while reducing investment costs. The objective of this research was to apply the ATP-O method to the city of Dordrecht in the Netherlands. The results show that the alternative adaptation strategy proposed (an overland drainage system) would be effective in coping with the effects of climate change where the current management strategy (disconnection of impervious surfaces from sewer systems) fails to do so. The ATP-O also proved helpful in identifying opportunities to adapt at lower costs. This research stimulated discussions between stakeholders on performance objectives, policy development, investment strategies, and flood risk management practices. The sensitivity analysis performed to support such discussion revealed that small variations in acceptability thresholds, associated with policy objectives, can have significant impact on ATP occurrence and timing.
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Research Article|
June 01 2015
Adaptation tipping points and opportunities for urban flood risk management
Nadia Koukoui;
1Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, PO Box 80.115, 3508TC Utrecht, The Netherlands
2Flood Resilience Group, UNESCO-IHE, PO BOX 3015, 2601 DA Delft, The Netherlands
34869 Victoria Avenue, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3W 2M9
E-mail: [email protected]
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Berry Gersonius;
Berry Gersonius
2Flood Resilience Group, UNESCO-IHE, PO BOX 3015, 2601 DA Delft, The Netherlands
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Paul P. Schot;
Paul P. Schot
1Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, PO Box 80.115, 3508TC Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Sebastiaan van Herk
Sebastiaan van Herk
2Flood Resilience Group, UNESCO-IHE, PO BOX 3015, 2601 DA Delft, The Netherlands
4Hydraulic Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Stevingweg 1, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands
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Journal of Water and Climate Change (2015) 6 (4): 695–710.
Article history
Received:
July 09 2013
Accepted:
April 13 2015
Citation
Nadia Koukoui, Berry Gersonius, Paul P. Schot, Sebastiaan van Herk; Adaptation tipping points and opportunities for urban flood risk management. Journal of Water and Climate Change 1 October 2015; 6 (4): 695–710. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wcc.2015.093
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