Towards Resilience to Pluvial Flood Events

Many growing cities in low and middle-income countries experience pluvial floods on an annual basis. Inadequate drainange systems exacerbate floods. Increased permeable surfaces from rapid and unplanned urbanisation also worsen flooding. There is little opportunity for individuals and infrastructure to recover.

Pluvial flooding is a hazard for a wide range of often already fragile, interdependent infrastructure sectors.

These infrastructures include:

• water and waste water
• transport
• energy generation and distribution
• solid waste
• ICT
• housing and livelihoods

The aim of this catalyst project is to understand:

• the hydro-meteorological factors that lead to pluvial flash flooding
• the impact this hazard has on local communities and their supporting infrastructure

The project will test the transferability of three impact models. They will better prepare communities and emergency services to respond in a pluvial flood event. It will inform decision-makers on how to improve infrastructure resilience.

Demonstrated in Kampala, Uganda, this catalyst will address five objectives:

• explore past impacts of, and current vulnerability to, extreme rainfall, capitalising upon existing data and tools, and local knowledge
• characterise extreme rainfall associated with pluvial flooding in the city of Kampala
• enhance understanding of the location and magnitude of impacts of pluvial flooding on people and infrastructure to assess pluvial risk as a function of hazard and impacts
• assess effective responses and preparation to enhance resilience to pluvial extremes
• co-create appropriate communication mechanisms to enhance the uptake of risk and resilience information in practice by communities, NGOs and local government agencies