Impacts of Climate Change Induced Sea Level Rise, Flow Increase and Vegetation Encroachment on Flood Hazard in the Biobío River, Chile
River flooding is one of the most widespread natural disasters. Projections indicate that climate change will increase flood hazard in many areas around the world. In this study, we investigate the individual and combined effects of sea level rise, flow increase and riparian vegetation encroachment...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Water |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/24/4098 |
| _version_ | 1797454925713637376 |
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| author | Gerhard Schoener Enrique Muñoz José Luis Arumí Mark C. Stone |
| author_facet | Gerhard Schoener Enrique Muñoz José Luis Arumí Mark C. Stone |
| author_sort | Gerhard Schoener |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | River flooding is one of the most widespread natural disasters. Projections indicate that climate change will increase flood hazard in many areas around the world. In this study, we investigate the individual and combined effects of sea level rise, flow increase and riparian vegetation encroachment on flood hazard in the lower Biobío River, Chile. Results show that each has the potential to individually increase flood hazard in certain areas, and that individual effects can compound. Encroachment of riparian vegetation onto previously sparsely vegetated areas of the floodplain, likely a result of the Chilean megadrought, causes higher flow resistance and increased flooding during large events. Somewhat counterintuitively, drought has therefore led to an increase in flood hazard in the study area. Drought risk for most land areas across the globe is expected to increase with climate change. Potential future vegetation encroachment should therefore be included as a key variable in riverine flood hazard studies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:44:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bd301baaab024c96afd767b7dc921eeb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:44:10Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-bd301baaab024c96afd767b7dc921eeb2023-11-24T18:42:51ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412022-12-011424409810.3390/w14244098Impacts of Climate Change Induced Sea Level Rise, Flow Increase and Vegetation Encroachment on Flood Hazard in the Biobío River, ChileGerhard Schoener0Enrique Muñoz1José Luis Arumí2Mark C. Stone3Southern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority, 1041 Commercial Dr SE, Rio Rancho, NM 87124, USADepartment of Civil Engineering, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción 4030000, ChileWater Resources Department, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Universidad de Concepción, Chillan 3812120, ChileDepartment of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USARiver flooding is one of the most widespread natural disasters. Projections indicate that climate change will increase flood hazard in many areas around the world. In this study, we investigate the individual and combined effects of sea level rise, flow increase and riparian vegetation encroachment on flood hazard in the lower Biobío River, Chile. Results show that each has the potential to individually increase flood hazard in certain areas, and that individual effects can compound. Encroachment of riparian vegetation onto previously sparsely vegetated areas of the floodplain, likely a result of the Chilean megadrought, causes higher flow resistance and increased flooding during large events. Somewhat counterintuitively, drought has therefore led to an increase in flood hazard in the study area. Drought risk for most land areas across the globe is expected to increase with climate change. Potential future vegetation encroachment should therefore be included as a key variable in riverine flood hazard studies.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/24/4098flood hazardclimate changesea level riseriparian vegetation encroachment |
| spellingShingle | Gerhard Schoener Enrique Muñoz José Luis Arumí Mark C. Stone Impacts of Climate Change Induced Sea Level Rise, Flow Increase and Vegetation Encroachment on Flood Hazard in the Biobío River, Chile Water flood hazard climate change sea level rise riparian vegetation encroachment |
| title | Impacts of Climate Change Induced Sea Level Rise, Flow Increase and Vegetation Encroachment on Flood Hazard in the Biobío River, Chile |
| title_full | Impacts of Climate Change Induced Sea Level Rise, Flow Increase and Vegetation Encroachment on Flood Hazard in the Biobío River, Chile |
| title_fullStr | Impacts of Climate Change Induced Sea Level Rise, Flow Increase and Vegetation Encroachment on Flood Hazard in the Biobío River, Chile |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impacts of Climate Change Induced Sea Level Rise, Flow Increase and Vegetation Encroachment on Flood Hazard in the Biobío River, Chile |
| title_short | Impacts of Climate Change Induced Sea Level Rise, Flow Increase and Vegetation Encroachment on Flood Hazard in the Biobío River, Chile |
| title_sort | impacts of climate change induced sea level rise flow increase and vegetation encroachment on flood hazard in the biobio river chile |
| topic | flood hazard climate change sea level rise riparian vegetation encroachment |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/14/24/4098 |
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