Key UC Contact
What We Did
Urban flood resilience has been studied by assessing the Dudley Creek flood remediation project in Christchurch. In order to do so, both, the functional impact of the flood measures that were implemented, and the social impact of the project on the adaptive capacity of residents have been investigated. Interviews and questionnaires with Dudley Creek area residents, and remediation project team members of the Christchurch City Council were key elements of the assessment. The study revealed that the flood remediation project as a whole increased the urban flood resilience of the system, improving functional resilience and adaptive capacity. Specific recommendations to further improve the outcomes of future projects are to incorporate resilience and local competency targets into the project goals, to facilitate citizen engagement in the response to flood events, and to establish a two-way dialogue, clear roles for participation and transparency in decision-making.
Who Was Involved
Residents in the Dudley Creek catchment, Christchurch City Council
Why It Matters
With an estimated 70% of the world’s population living in cities by 2050, urban resilience is of paramount importance for society to be able to cope with natural hazards such as floods. Particularly at risk are the densely populated low-lying areas in coastal and river flood plains. New Zealand is no exception. Projected impacts of climate change, such as sea-level rise and an increased likelihood of heavy storms, make urban flood resilience an integral part of future-proofing our cities.
This work adopts a holistic approach to assess to what extent and why a flood remediation project contributes to urban flood resilience. It combines engineering and social aspects of resilience, with specific focus on the role of the process design, and governance context in which the flood remediation project took place.
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Link to related Master thesis: https://essay.utwente.nl/80721/
