Protecting our cities from floods

Over the past year alone, flooding has devastated urban areas on every one of the world’s inhabited continents. Warmer air holds more moisture, and with global temperatures rising heavy rains, intense weather systems and snow melts have led to inundations in cities from Africa to Europe and from the Americas to Asia. The result has been the loss of life and destruction of property on a major scale.

In the latest episode of the Shaping Sustainable Places podcast, we look at some of the innovative approaches and solutions being implemented today that are helping communities address this growing problem. 

We speak with Anna Åkesson, who is Group Environmental Manager for Skanska, and also with Pedro Ribeiro, Head of the Water Program for C40, a global network of nearly 100 mayors of leading cities who are confronting the climate crisis.

Anna explains that Skanska is delivering a range of different infrastructure solutions to help cities better manage flooding rivers. In Poland, this has taken the form of flood barriers around rivers that rise when flooding is imminent, as well as gates to the sea that can open to release excess water. In Stockholm, giant spillway gates are being used in the new Slussen project to control the flow of water between the brackish Baltic Sea and the fresh water of Lake Mälaren.
 

Anna says with the East Midtown Waterfront Esplanade and East River Greenway in New York, Skanska has created a buffer against floodwaters in the form of raised quaysides with the project also doubling as a biodiverse space for people to enjoy.

And physical barriers are not the only solution to easing impacts. In New Orleans, Skanska has built the University Medical Center with future flooding in mind. Critical infrastructure like emergency rooms and equipment installations have been positioned away from their traditional lower-floor locations to higher positions. Windows on higher levels can also be used as doors to allow access via boat in extreme floods.

Sharing knowledge of successes – and failures

Meanwhile, Pedro Ribeiro from C40 says many of today’s problems with inundation have arisen because cities have been built with little thought for the behavior of rivers. In many cases, rivers have been turned into concrete canals and marsh areas have been built over.

C40’s objective is for cities to share knowledge around their successes and failures with managing climate challenges, so that other cities can benefit from their experiences.

Pedro says as cities turn their attention to flooding, their initial priority should be protecting human lives. This can be achieved by putting in place early warning systems, accessing reliable forecasts and by providing shelters to which flood-affected citizens can flee. The next step involves putting in place infrastructure and solutions that can help ameliorate flooding. 

Pedro points to Copenhagen where public squares can now be used as storage areas for excess water during flooding. In cities like Philadelphia, highly accurate maps of flood affected areas have been produced which must be used in the planning process for any new buildings. Pedro says it is also critical that flood planning ensures that critical infrastructure is able to operate even in a severe inundation.

Anna and Pedro’s insights can help inspire city leaders to take action now to protect their communities.
 

For more details and expert insights, subscribe and tune in to the full episode of Shaping Sustainable Places on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.