Is green infrastructure a viable strategy for managing urban surface water flooding?

Abstract

Green infrastructure strategies are often cited as best practice for urban water management; however, limited research has been undertaken to compare intervention effectiveness during moderate to extreme intensity rainfall events which are typically responsible for surface water flooding. This research responds to this through applying a cellular automata-based rapid scenario screening framework to predict the flood management performance of green infrastructure strategies across an urban catchment in Melbourne City Centre (Australia). Key findings indicate an intensive application of green infrastructure could substantially reduce flood depth and velocity in the catchment but that residual risk remains, particularly during extreme flood events. The best performing intervention strategy in the study area was found to be catchment-wide decentralised rainwater capture. The research also evidences the utility of rapid scenario screening tools to complement existing flood modelling approaches through screening management strategies, exploring scenarios and engaging a wide range of multi-disciplinary stakeholders.