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New model can help reconstruct urban areas after floods
1 June 2010
FRC partners are working on a generic solution to help cities after flooding via the development of a GIS model. So, what is this GIS model and how does it work? We interviewed a specialist from the City of Paris Engineering School.
The City of Paris Engineering School (EIVP) in France is currently developing a GIS model within the framework of the FRC project.
Interview with Damien Serre, researcher at the EIVP:
1.) What is the GIS model?
The GIS model will be a web-based tool which will help urban planners see how they can rebuild a city after a flood event. It is intended to increase awareness among the decision-makers in city administrations and help them solve problems related to flood damage in urban areas.
2.) How can it help to improve the reconstruction of urban areas?
The urban infrastructure is vulnerable to destruction by flooding. The GIS model allows non-resilient infrastructure networks such as roads, sewerage systems, water supply pipes, electricity cables and telephone lines to be identified easily. The model can, in turn, identify network problems and will help urban planners (re)construct the networks so that floods will cause less damage in the future.
3.) This model sounds quite complicated. Can you provide an example of how it model works?
Yes, but as the model is still under development, we can only show how it works for one indicator, namely for roads. See illustration.
4.) The EIVP is cooperating with other FRC partners to develop this tool. What does this collaboration entail?
We have planned a real test based on part of the city of Paris but will also test the model in the cities of Dublin, Orléans and Bradford.
5.) Why do you test your model in other cities? Is one city not enough?
No, one or two cities are not sufficient to validate the model because, in the future, we are envisaging a generic tool which can be applied in any city in Europe. It is therefore necessary to optimise the methodology.
6.) When do you think you will have completed the development of the GIS model?
The tool will be finished in two years. The end result will be presented as an online GIS web-tool. Currently, we only have a demo version focusing on road networks.
7.) The FRC partners started a so-called trans-national "GIS-club". What does this mean?
The aim of the GIS-club is to improve knowledge about the GIS practices and needs of the different cities. In other words, how do they cope with flood risk management, e.g. data, tools, processes etc.
8.) Which FRC partners are participating in this group?
The first meeting on 25th of January in Paris was attended by the City of Paris Engineering School (EIVP), the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Dublin City Council, the County Council of Loiret (CG45), the Great Lakes of the Seine Administration (IIBRBS) and the University of Sheffield.
9.) We have heard that this group is successful. Can other cities join?
Unfortunately we cannot integrate other interested city partners outside of the FRC partnership at the moment. We are familiar with the needs of the current members and the demo for Dublin is almost finished. The final version of the model, however, will be available for any city in Europe.
10.) What are your next steps?
There is a meeting of the GIS-club at the end of May in Dublin. Three students from the EIVP will be there and we will be working with Bradford, Dublin and Sheffield on this topic. In September we are planning a visit to Bradford and are looking forward to this very worthwhile excursion!
1 June 2010
FRC partners are working on a generic solution to help cities after flooding via the development of a GIS model. So, what is this GIS model and how does it work? We interviewed a specialist from the City of Paris Engineering School.
The City of Paris Engineering School (EIVP) in France is currently developing a GIS model within the framework of the FRC project.
Interview with Damien Serre, researcher at the EIVP:
1.) What is the GIS model?
The GIS model will be a web-based tool which will help urban planners see how they can rebuild a city after a flood event. It is intended to increase awareness among the decision-makers in city administrations and help them solve problems related to flood damage in urban areas.
2.) How can it help to improve the reconstruction of urban areas?
The urban infrastructure is vulnerable to destruction by flooding. The GIS model allows non-resilient infrastructure networks such as roads, sewerage systems, water supply pipes, electricity cables and telephone lines to be identified easily. The model can, in turn, identify network problems and will help urban planners (re)construct the networks so that floods will cause less damage in the future.
3.) This model sounds quite complicated. Can you provide an example of how it model works?
Yes, but as the model is still under development, we can only show how it works for one indicator, namely for roads. See illustration.
4.) The EIVP is cooperating with other FRC partners to develop this tool. What does this collaboration entail?
We have planned a real test based on part of the city of Paris but will also test the model in the cities of Dublin, Orléans and Bradford.
5.) Why do you test your model in other cities? Is one city not enough?
No, one or two cities are not sufficient to validate the model because, in the future, we are envisaging a generic tool which can be applied in any city in Europe. It is therefore necessary to optimise the methodology.
6.) When do you think you will have completed the development of the GIS model?
The tool will be finished in two years. The end result will be presented as an online GIS web-tool. Currently, we only have a demo version focusing on road networks.
7.) The FRC partners started a so-called trans-national "GIS-club". What does this mean?
The aim of the GIS-club is to improve knowledge about the GIS practices and needs of the different cities. In other words, how do they cope with flood risk management, e.g. data, tools, processes etc.
8.) Which FRC partners are participating in this group?
The first meeting on 25th of January in Paris was attended by the City of Paris Engineering School (EIVP), the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, Dublin City Council, the County Council of Loiret (CG45), the Great Lakes of the Seine Administration (IIBRBS) and the University of Sheffield.
9.) We have heard that this group is successful. Can other cities join?
Unfortunately we cannot integrate other interested city partners outside of the FRC partnership at the moment. We are familiar with the needs of the current members and the demo for Dublin is almost finished. The final version of the model, however, will be available for any city in Europe.
10.) What are your next steps?
There is a meeting of the GIS-club at the end of May in Dublin. Three students from the EIVP will be there and we will be working with Bradford, Dublin and Sheffield on this topic. In September we are planning a visit to Bradford and are looking forward to this very worthwhile excursion!
