Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 122 p. : ill. (some col.), maps. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 76-78).

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2000. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 94 p. : ill. (some col.), maps. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-64).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wyoming, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on June 10, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 248-254). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

The concept of resilience is increasingly applied to policy-making. However, despite its widespread use, resilience remains poorly defined, open to multiple interpretations, and challenging to translate into practical policy instruments. Three particularly problematic aspects of resilience concern its rigid conceptualisation of adaptation and learning, its de-politicised interpretation of participatory decision-making, and the ill-defined role and relevance of social vulnerability indicators. My research analyses these three aspects within the context of flood risk management in the UK, which is uniquely suited to studying the practicability of a cross-disciplinary concept like resilience, because it connects issues of natural resource management, social planning, and disaster management. First, I analyse two case studies of experimental pilot projects in natural flood management. Through studying project reports, and interviewing stakeholders involved in project implementation, I determine whether the theorised learning-by-doing method in resilience is reflected in experiences from real experimental projects. Secondly, I use one of these case studies to map out the political structure of local participatory bodies in flood management, and also conduct a small survey of local community groups. The purpose of this second study is to determine if collaborative methods can indeed lead to a knowledge-driven policy process as envisioned in resilience literature. Lastly, I use statistical analysis to compare a traditional flood management model and a socio-economic model. The aim of the statistical modelling is to determine whether socio-economic factors are indeed useful for informing flooding policy, and whether they offer new insights not already being used in modern flood management. I find that resilience gives insufficient consideration to the importance of political constraints and economic trade-offs in policy-making, and that evidence for the usefulness of socio-economic factors is inconclusive. Future work could focus on further refining the statistical modelling to pinpoint empirically verifiable indicators of resilience.

Developing countries have been rapidly urbanising over the last decades, resulting in major environmental pressures and increased vulnerability to natural disasters. A complex combination of factors, including climate change, land use change, poorly implemented regulation and a lack of integrated planning has often resulted in environmental degradation and disproportionate impacts of natural disasters affecting millions worldwide, particularly in tropical cities. The main aim of this study is to understand the effects of land-use and climate change on flooding in the Greater Port-Harcourt watershed. The specific research objectives were: to understand the historical and future land use /land cover changes; to understand the magnitude of change in hydrologic and hydraulic conditions due to land-use and climate changes; to assess the influence of different forest mitigation scenarios on peak-discharge; and to make recommendations on how to improve future planning using insights from this study. Methodologically, the post-classification change detection method was applied to examine the extent and nature of historical LULC changes using remotely sensed data. Future LULC changes were estimated by superimposing the 2060 digitised Masterplan map on the year 2003 baseline imagery. Hydrologic changes were assessed using HEC-HMS model, while changes in the hydraulic condition were assessed using HEC-RAS model. Model output was further used to map flood hazards, flood zones and damage potential. Priority areas and infrastructure at risk were identified by means of their location in flood zones and exposure to floods with high damage potential. On the extent of change, this study revealed that urbanisation and loss of agricultural land had been the dominant and intensive land use change in the watershed. Urbanisation is projected to almost double its 2003 extent by 2060 and is likely to remain the dominant force of land use change. On the nature of change, this study found that urban land was the most dynamic in terms of gross gain and net change. It exhibited the grossest gain (about 9% of the watershed) and the grossest loss leading to a high net change of about 8.6%. In fact, the most prominent transition was the conversion of agricultural land (about 422km2) to urban land, and roughly 93.3% of all conversions to urban land resulted from agricultural land. On the process of change, urban land mainly experienced a net-type of change (change in quantity), whereas changes in agricultural land was more of a swap-type of change (change in location). Importantly, the study reveals that the impact on flood flow was historically significant (about 68%) and is projected to amplify in future, however, these changes are largely attributed to increased storm size. Urbanisation is likely to have little or no impact on annual maximum peak flow at the watershed scale; however, urbanisation is projected to have a considerable impact on peak flow in a number of subbasins, which could have severe implications for flash flooding in those subbasins. Similarly, afforestation could have little or no impact on future maximum peak flow when assessed at the watershed scale. Although some subbasins experienced changes in peak flow, the effect of forest is variable. The study concludes that although the impact of urbanisation is projected to be insignificant at the watershed scale, it could also increase flood risk due to increasing developments in floodplains and channel encroachment. Priority infrastructure and areas requiring urgent flood risk management include the Port-Harcourt seaports, Onne seaport, the University of Science and Technology and cement factory. Priority areas in the Masterplan are mainly in the south (Phase 3), comprising of the Air force base and the residential area near Onne seaport. Lastly, approximately 8.1km and 189m of road and rail network are at greater risk of flooding by means of their exposure to floods with the highest damage potential. Based on this study, I have furthered understanding by showing that the transition to urban land category was dominated by net changes (i.e. changes in quantity). I have also furthered understanding by showing that substantial changes in future urban land-use may not have significant effect on flood parameters. My main contribution to knowledge is that despite the high rate of urbanisation in the GPH watershed and its minimal impact on flooding (which could be due the large size of the storm and watershed), urbanisation could still increase flood risk due to greater exposure of elements at risk in the flood plains to damaging floods. Based on the results, the study recommends that the development authorities should integrate both structural measures (mainly for flood defence around existing developments) and non-structural measures (primarily for future developments). For flood risk management research, this study recommends that conclusions about the effects of urbanisation should not be made solely on the basis of changes in hydrology and river hydraulics, however researchers should also consider the exposure of important elements at risk within the floodplains under study to better understand the effects of urbanisation. Moreover, to better understand urbanisation effects on runoff dynamics in other watersheds, this study recommends that research efforts should be concerted in understanding subbasin-scale changes given that the effects of urbanisation are more pronounced in smaller basins.

Scientific studies have suggested an increase in the frequency and intensity of flooding. The research presented herein is focused on a small watershed, which has experienced intense flooding of a downstream, urbanized area. For emergency response and preparedness, it is pertinent to have the ability to predict intensity and peak flows of a flood. The Town of Dyer, Indiana has been severely impacted by flooding in the last twenty years. A 37.6 square mile watershed begins in a rural section of Illinois with tributaries draining into Plum Creek. The creek crosses into Indiana and becomes Hart Ditch, a straight, narrow, deep channel through the urbanized Town of Dyer. A HEC-HMS hydrologic model was used and calibrated based on USGS gage data. Storm events ranging from short, high intensity to long, intermittent precipitation provided a vast representation of possible scenarios within the watershed. The hydrologic model was paired with an unsteady HEC-RAS hydraulic model to allow for different lateral inflows to the creek providing variations of flow. A comparison between upstream and downstream stream gage readings was utilized to create a working model that predicts downstream water surface elevations for previous real-time storm and hypothetical storms. These conditions were analyzed by two stream gages and a correlation between the two gages was developed. This correlation was used to predict downstream water surface elevations. The correlation was also used to determine the time to crest based on readings at the upstream gage for many different storm events. The ability to know downstream water surface elevations for real-time storm events allows a window of time to implement emergency response in areas where flooding is imminent. The downstream area of concern has known flood elevations that represent various damage levels.

The exponential growth of the world population led by the geographic expansion of urban areas in developing countries has put massive pressure on natural resources especially land and water. Water supply and water scarcity remain one of the major challenges facing the industrializing world. The United Nations forecast further increase in population which, in the absence of management and policies, will inevitably put more resources at risk. Changing climatic conditions causing more frequent and intense rainfall will also affect water management systems in the vulnerable urban areas of developing countries. The goal of this study was twofold; first analyze the patterns of water consumption in the rapidly growing city of Lagos, Nigeria and use them in a System Dynamics (SD) model to make projections about future demand. The second part used remote sensing to quantify the contribution of extensive land use/cover change to urban flooding. Land use/cover dynamics over the past decade was analyzed using satellite imagery provided by Landsat Thematic Mapping (TM). Unsupervised classification was performed with false color composite using the Iterative Self-Organizing Data Analysis (ISODATA) technique in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The study area was divided into four different land use types during image classification: bare land, built-up area, water bodies, and vegetation. For water demand, two different scenarios of population growth including 5.5% and 2.75 % annual increase were considered. The results showed that water demand dropped by 67% of its current value when losses in distribution were reduced by 20% and population annual growth rate kept at 2.75% over the study period. Bare land and water bodies lost 1.31% and 1.61% of their current area respectively while built-up area grew by 1.11%. These changes in land use/cover changes led to a 64% increase in average surface runoff, mostly attributable to increasing surface imperviousness and the absence of an adequate urban drainage system. This paper intends to assist the authorities of the city of Lagos who adopted a master plan in 2010 as a road map to reduce to city’s vulnerability to flooding and close the gap between water demand and water supply by 2050.

Dans le but d'une meilleure caractérisation de l'aléa gaz dans les bassins houillers miniers ennoyés, un dispositif expérimental a été développé pour quantifier la libération du méthane depuis le charbon. Des échantillons de charbon saturés en méthane ont été soumis à des pressions hydrostatiques allant de 3 à 4,3 MPa, dans une cellule autoclave. Le protocole développé à partir du système initial et des moyens techniques apportés au cours des travaux de thèse s'est révélé opérationnel. Les résultats des expériences et leur analyse ont mis en évidence deux phénomènes : une désorption significative du méthane initialement adsorbé et l'effet de la pénétration de l'eau dans les pores du charbon sur la pression dans la cellule. Les différents niveaux de pression imposée au charbon ont montré que la fraction de méthane désorbé augmente avec la pression, du fait d'une sollicitation plus profonde des pores saturés en méthane.Les constantes d'équilibre déterminées ont été utilisées dans des modèles numériques visant à simuler la migration du méthane dans des structures minières ennoyées. Les modèles les plus simples ont montré l'importance des perméabilités du charbon et des vides miniers, ainsi que l'effet inhibiteur de l'ennoyage sur la libération de méthane. La concentration atteinte en méthane dissous est limitée par la constante de sorption attribuée au charbon et à sa teneur initiale en méthane. D'autres scénarios reprenant un contexte de gestion de la remontée des eaux de mine illustrent l'impact d'un pompage sur la sollicitation du méthane et son influence quant à une possible émission en surface, au terme d'une durée de l'ordre de la décennie, voire du siècle. / An experimental laboratory device has been developed in order to better characterize the possibility if gas emissions from flooded coal mines. Coal samples, saturated with methane, have been submitted at hydrostatic pressure from 3 to 4.3 MPa in an autoclave cell. The initial set-up and the technical apparatus added during the thesis work permit to establish an operational protocol. The results and their analysis highlight two processes: a significant desorption of methane from the flooded coal and the impact of the water penetration in the coal pores on the hydrostatic pressure. The pressure levels the coal was submitted to reveal that an increase of hydrostatic pressure enhances desorption and dissolution, as a consequence of a deeper solicitation of the methane-saturated pores.The experimental equilibrium constants have been taken into account in numerical models aiming to simulate the methane migration in flooded mine structures. The simplest models showed the importance of coal and mine voids permeability and the methane release limitation by flooding. The methane concentration in water is controlled by the desorption constant of the coal and its initial methane content. Other models simulating a flooding management context illustrate the impact of pumping on methane release and its influence concerning an eventual surface emission after decades or even century.

O desenvolvimento urbano altera significativamente o ciclo natural das bacias hidrográficas. Com o surgimento da drenagem urbana sustentável, o rápido escoamento das águas pluviais deu lugar à restituição das características naturais da bacia hidrográfica através do planejamento do desenvolvimento urbano aliado ao uso de técnicas compensatórias que promovem a infiltração e detenção de águas pluviais. Entretanto, em bacias urbanizadas, o uso das técnicas compensatórias tem alcance limitado, principalmente pelo alto grau de impermeabilização das bacias, pela falta de preocupação com a drenagem durante a expansão urbana, pela baixa disponibilidade de espaço e pelos altos custos de aplicação de medidas estruturais de drenagem urbana. Assim, os princípios de drenagem urbana sustentável são muitas vezes considerados inadequados a ambientes de urbanização consolidada. Desta forma, este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o desempenho do uso em conjunto de diversas técnicas compensatórias definidas através do desenvolvimento de mapas de adequabilidade de uma bacia hidrográfica urbana à aplicação das técnicas compensatórias e de simulação hidrológica. Foram avaliadas bacias de detenção, pavimentos permeáveis, jardins de chuva, telhados verdes, trincheiras de infiltração e microreservatórios individuais. O desempenho das técnicas compensatórias foi avaliado individualmente e trabalhando em conjunto. Mapas de adequabilidade foram criados para locação e quantificação das técnicas compensatórias na bacia hidrográfica. Os resultados mostraram que a aplicação extensiva de técnicas compensatórias em ambiente urbano pode provocar melhoras significativas na redução de vazão de pico e controle do volume de hidrogramas de cheia, com melhores desempenhos individuais de até 35,5% de redução de pico e 32,48% de redução de volume de hidrogramas (TR 2 anos) com o uso de trincheiras de infiltração e 12,77% de redução de vazão de pico e 9,57% de redução de volume (TR 100 anos) com o uso de telhados verdes. Simulando as técnicas compensatórias mais eficientes funcionando em conjunto, foram obtidas reduções de 59,00% de vazão de pico e 46,37% de redução de volume para precipitações de tempo de retorno de 2 anos e 25,66% de vazão de pico e 26,45% de redução de volume em precipitações de 100 anos de tempo de retorno. Assim, concluiu-se que a adaptação de regiões urbanizadas aos princípios da drenagem urbana sustentável é possível e eficiente, e bons resultados podem ser obtidos mesmo nos ambientes mais densamente ocupados. Entretanto, a falta de planejamento durante o desenvolvimento urbano e a pouca disponibilidade de espaço impede a otimização do arranjo espacial dos dispositivos e limita a eficiência de algumas técnicas compensatórias, principalmente aquelas de grande porte. / Urban development significantly alters the natural cycle of river basins. With the emergence of sustainable urban drainage, rapid stormwater runoff gave way to recovering the natural characteristics of the river basin through the urban development planning coupled with the use of compensatory techniques that promote the infiltration and detention of stormwater. However, in already urbanized basins, the use of compensatory techniques have limited reach, especially by the high impermeabilization of the basins, the lack of concern with drainage during urban sprawl, low space availability and high implementation costs of structural measures of urban drainage. Thus, the principles of sustainable urban drainage are often considered inadequate to consolidated urban environments. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the performance of the conjunction use of several compensatory techniques defined after developing suitability maps for the urban basin and hydrologic simulation. We evaluated detention basins, permeable pavements, rain gardens, green roofs, infiltration trenches and individuals cisterns. We assessed the performance of compensatory techniques working individually and working together. Suitability maps were created for positioning and quantification of compensatory techniques in the watershed. The results showed that extensive application of compensatory techniques in an urban environment could lead to significant improvements in peak flow reduction and control of hydrograms volume, with best individual performance up to 35.5% peak reduction and 32.48% hydrograms volume reduction (TR 2 years) using infiltration trenches and 12.77% peak flow reduction and 9 57% volume reduction (TR 100 years) using green roofs. Simulating the most efficient compensatory techniques working together, the results shown 59.00% of peak flow reductions and 46.37% of volume reduction to 2-years rainfalls and 25.66% peak flow reduction and 26.45% of volume reduction in 100-years rainfalls. Thus, we concluded that the adaptation of urbanized areas to sustainable urban drainage principles is possible and efficient, and good results can be obtained even in the more densely occupied environments. However, the lack of planning for urban development and the limited space availability prevents the optimization of devices spatial arrangement and limits the effectiveness of certain compensatory techniques, especially those large as detention basins.