Evaluation of nature-based solutions for flood risk management in the Oitavén-Verdugo River Basin (NW Spain)
Floods are recurrent phenomena with significant environmental and socio-economic impacts. The risk of flooding can increase when land use changes. The objective of this research has been to obtain an integrative methodology based on the development of a model in HEC-HMS, calibrated and validated fro...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IWA Publishing
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Water Practice and Technology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://wpt.iwaponline.com/content/18/4/785 |
| _version_ | 1827951057449254912 |
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| author | Carolina Acuña Alonso Lucia Martínez Portabales Enrique Valero Xana Álvarez |
| author_facet | Carolina Acuña Alonso Lucia Martínez Portabales Enrique Valero Xana Álvarez |
| author_sort | Carolina Acuña Alonso |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Floods are recurrent phenomena with significant environmental and socio-economic impacts. The risk of flooding can increase when land use changes. The objective of this research has been to obtain an integrative methodology based on the development of a model in HEC-HMS, calibrated and validated from events between 2018 and 2022, and to apply simulations employing the use of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) tools. This model has been applied in Verdugo-Oitavén River Basin (NW Spain). Three different scenarios propose (1) the reforestation of 30% of abandoned agricultural land across the basin, (2) reforestation upstream (S-Upstream), and (3) reforestation in two sub-basins (S-Downstream). Upstream afforestation provided a similar reduction to catchment-wide afforestation for both peak discharge and hydrograph volumes. The S-Upstream simulation reaches peak reductions of 8%, but this percentage decreases when precipitation events are long lasting, reaching a reduction of 3.3% for events of 5 days or more. On the other hand, downstream reforestation has minimal effect (1%) in reducing maximum discharge of events. The use of NbS-based strategies would improve integrated watershed management, reduce flood risk, and improve environmental governance.
HIGHLIGHTS
First hydrological modelling of the Verdugo-Oitavén Basin.;
Proposed change of land use from abandoned agricultural land to reforested land.;
Simulation of reforestation upstream almost as effective as in the whole catchment.;
Land use change from abandoned land to forested land is a promising tool.;
Ensuring watershed water security through the development of new strategies is key to environmental governance.; |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T13:35:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-17ada391317f4a14a7ef2ad7962846ee |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1751-231X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T13:35:46Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | IWA Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water Practice and Technology |
| spelling | doaj.art-17ada391317f4a14a7ef2ad7962846ee2023-05-09T09:58:15ZengIWA PublishingWater Practice and Technology1751-231X2023-04-0118478579510.2166/wpt.2023.043043Evaluation of nature-based solutions for flood risk management in the Oitavén-Verdugo River Basin (NW Spain)Carolina Acuña Alonso0Lucia Martínez Portabales1Enrique Valero2Xana Álvarez3 Agroforestry Group, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Forestry Engineering, University of Vigo, Pontevedra 36005, Spain Agroforestry Group, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Forestry Engineering, University of Vigo, Pontevedra 36005, Spain Agroforestry Group, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Forestry Engineering, University of Vigo, Pontevedra 36005, Spain Agroforestry Group, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Forestry Engineering, University of Vigo, Pontevedra 36005, Spain Floods are recurrent phenomena with significant environmental and socio-economic impacts. The risk of flooding can increase when land use changes. The objective of this research has been to obtain an integrative methodology based on the development of a model in HEC-HMS, calibrated and validated from events between 2018 and 2022, and to apply simulations employing the use of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) tools. This model has been applied in Verdugo-Oitavén River Basin (NW Spain). Three different scenarios propose (1) the reforestation of 30% of abandoned agricultural land across the basin, (2) reforestation upstream (S-Upstream), and (3) reforestation in two sub-basins (S-Downstream). Upstream afforestation provided a similar reduction to catchment-wide afforestation for both peak discharge and hydrograph volumes. The S-Upstream simulation reaches peak reductions of 8%, but this percentage decreases when precipitation events are long lasting, reaching a reduction of 3.3% for events of 5 days or more. On the other hand, downstream reforestation has minimal effect (1%) in reducing maximum discharge of events. The use of NbS-based strategies would improve integrated watershed management, reduce flood risk, and improve environmental governance. HIGHLIGHTS First hydrological modelling of the Verdugo-Oitavén Basin.; Proposed change of land use from abandoned agricultural land to reforested land.; Simulation of reforestation upstream almost as effective as in the whole catchment.; Land use change from abandoned land to forested land is a promising tool.; Ensuring watershed water security through the development of new strategies is key to environmental governance.;http://wpt.iwaponline.com/content/18/4/785curve numberflood hazard managementhec-hmsnature-based solutionsreforestation |
| spellingShingle | Carolina Acuña Alonso Lucia Martínez Portabales Enrique Valero Xana Álvarez Evaluation of nature-based solutions for flood risk management in the Oitavén-Verdugo River Basin (NW Spain) Water Practice and Technology curve number flood hazard management hec-hms nature-based solutions reforestation |
| title | Evaluation of nature-based solutions for flood risk management in the Oitavén-Verdugo River Basin (NW Spain) |
| title_full | Evaluation of nature-based solutions for flood risk management in the Oitavén-Verdugo River Basin (NW Spain) |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of nature-based solutions for flood risk management in the Oitavén-Verdugo River Basin (NW Spain) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of nature-based solutions for flood risk management in the Oitavén-Verdugo River Basin (NW Spain) |
| title_short | Evaluation of nature-based solutions for flood risk management in the Oitavén-Verdugo River Basin (NW Spain) |
| title_sort | evaluation of nature based solutions for flood risk management in the oitaven verdugo river basin nw spain |
| topic | curve number flood hazard management hec-hms nature-based solutions reforestation |
| url | http://wpt.iwaponline.com/content/18/4/785 |
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