Category: Inland water

How Cloud solutions can help cities predict flash floods more accurately

Heavy rainfall and floods impose considerable consequences to communities and infrastructure, resulting in death or injury, affecting livelihood, damaging roads, property, water networks and more.

According to a United Nations report, in the ten years from 1995 to 2015, floods accounted for 43% of all documented natural disasters, affecting 2.3 billion people, killing 157,000 and causing US$662 billion in damage. The UNESCO World Development Report further states that climate change, increasing population, loss of wetlands and rising sea levels are expected put 2 billion people at risk of flood disasters by 2050. Continue reading “How Cloud solutions can help cities predict flash floods more accurately”

Best practices for successful coastal flooding adaptation

Global warming, rising sea levels and rapidly growing cities are placing immense pressure on coastal cities, towns and subsistence communities. The U.S. Population Reference Bureau estimates that almost 6 billion people will be living within 200 kilometres of a coastline by 2025 – close to double the number in 2003. Population growth – along with sea level rise compounded by storm surges and increased rainfall intensity due to climate change – are the key reasons for the increase in coastal flooding and the degradation of our coastal regions and ecosystems today. Continue reading “Best practices for successful coastal flooding adaptation”

What has climate change got to do with increased groundwater salinity?

Rising sea levels due to climate change is affecting us more than we know

Sea level rise due to climate change is one of the contributing factors of salinity intrusion, particularly for shallow sandy aquifers in water stressed coastal areas. In many of such areas surface water salinity is additionally increased due to reduced upstream discharges and salinity can intrude both directly from the sea and from the surface waters. Furthermore, a temporarily rise in sea level can be caused by various acts of nature, such as tsunamis and hurricanes bringing about storm surges. Due to ongoing evaporation, the salt concentration of water in sandy aquifers have the potential to increase exponentially and eventually cause contamination or environmental problems. Continue reading “What has climate change got to do with increased groundwater salinity?”

A satellite perspective on wetland monitoring

The best way to take stock of national wetland resources

World Wetlands Day is celebrated every year on the 2nd of February to help raise public awareness about the importance and value of wetlands. Continue reading “A satellite perspective on wetland monitoring”

How technology is helping professionals manage coastal erosion successfully

The coast is vulnerable to forces from the sea – and coastal protection and maintenance is an ongoing challenge.

Information and knowledge about wind, waves, depth conditions and sediment types is key in the decision-making process on how to protect the coasts. Continue reading “How technology is helping professionals manage coastal erosion successfully”

Five curious facts about climate change

And more in your copy of the guidelines to achieve sustainable adaptation

Higher temperatures and changes to other climate variables are leading to sea level rise as well as changes in wave climate, coastal environments, and the availability and quality of water for irrigation and other water demands. An increased hazard of extreme events such as storms, heavy rainfall and periods of drought and water scarcity is also expected. Continue reading “Five curious facts about climate change”

Wildfires and their effects on river basins: What you didn’t know

Monitoring programs and decision support systems can help study impacts and facilitate rapid response

Five interesting facts about wildfires and their effects on river basins: Continue reading “Wildfires and their effects on river basins: What you didn’t know”