The Reservoir | Drops of Knowledge

Predicting natural disasters: how risk information protects lives and investments

No thanks to climate change, extreme weather events are getting more frequent, intense and unpredictable. A publication by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) highlights that in the past 20 years, weather-related disasters made up approximately 90% of major recorded disaster events. Although loss of human lives may be decreasing, economic impact – especially that of informal economies and uninsured losses – are on the rise.

Julien Oliver, our hydro-meteorological risk specialist, answers our questions on how having access to risk information can help stakeholders make better decisions to mitigate the impact of natural disasters on their communities and economy. Continue reading “Predicting natural disasters: how risk information protects lives and investments”

Mitigating the effects of urbanisation on freshwater quality

Urban waterways are water bodies in an urban environment – either naturally occurring or deliberately designed and constructed as part of a drainage system. By channelling stormwater rapidly to a common outlet such as rivers, lakes, or bays, urban waterways play an important role in reducing flooding in the cities. Continue reading “Mitigating the effects of urbanisation on freshwater quality”

Why web-based solutions are key for grasping the challenge of coastal flooding

With frequently changing climatic conditions, decision makers are facing the challenge of protecting human lives and precious assets against flooding from rivers, the sea and storm surges in urban areas along coasts.

Fortunately, web-based services and solutions can support decision makers in their response to the comprehensive challenge posed by coastal flooding. Continue reading “Why web-based solutions are key for grasping the challenge of coastal flooding”

An insider’s perspective on tackling coastal erosion

Coastal erosion is the wearing away of land, rocks or sand along the coastline. In addition to natural forces from the sea such as storm surges and sea level rise due to climate change, many human activities like harbour construction, maintenance dredging and more, all contribute to the erosion process.

We ask Kasper Kaegaard, our Senior Coastal Expert, five questions on coastal erosion to find out how we can protect our shorelines from this ongoing challenge. Continue reading “An insider’s perspective on tackling coastal erosion”

Shaping the future of our cities with sustainable urban drainage systems

In this new age of ‘green urbanism’, innovative urban planning often includes thoughtful green solutions that bring benefit both to the community and environment.

While it is true that urban planning is more than good physical design, one can’t deny the fact that sustainable design considerations – right from the early planning phase – would lead to successful final design and construction that can significantly influence our quality of life in the cities.
Continue reading “Shaping the future of our cities with sustainable urban drainage systems”

Diving deep into the problem of ocean acidification

What is ocean acidification?

Ocean acidification is an effect of atmospheric carbon dioxide entering the ocean, lowering the water’s pH and increasing its acidity levels. High levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is largely an effect of human activities, such as deforestation for agriculture or fuel, but it is mainly caused by the burning of fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – to produce large amounts of concentrated energy at a relatively low cost. Continue reading “Diving deep into the problem of ocean acidification”

How machine learning can help fuel decisions in flood management

Throughout the last couple of decades, exponentially increasing computing power and swiftly improving machine learning algorithms to analyse collected data have transformed several aspects of business operations. As a result, these types of pioneering technology trends are predicted to continue to grow and impact many different sectors across a wide range of industries. Continue reading “How machine learning can help fuel decisions in flood management”

How to manage urban stormwater quality in three steps

Urban stormwater runoff is rainwater or snowmelt runoff that runs off the pavement, parking lots, rooftops and other impermeable surfaces in the cities. As the runoff travels to the lowest elevation, it carries with it dirt, trash, toxins and various pollutants – all the way into streams, lakes, rivers, estuaries, or oceans. This polluted runoff affects the water quality in the receiving bodies and causes significant damage to ecosystems. Continue reading “How to manage urban stormwater quality in three steps”