MULTISURE

Methods for hazard, vulnerability and risk assessments due to high groundwater levels induced by riverine floods do not exist at present. Therefore, it is difficult to develop mitigation and protection concepts for subterranean structures. Primarily authorities lack the requirements for conceptualising, development and communication of groundwater related flood mitigation measures. The project aims on the development of assessment methods for the hazard, the damage potential and the risk due to interactions of riverine and groundwater flooding.

Established damage functions for river floods can give a first indication of potential damage due to rising groundwater. Additional investigations of losses and field surveys will be made in order to adapt the damage models. These investigations shall lead to a new approach for the estimation of losses to subterranean buildings and infrastructure due to flood-induced rising groundwater levels.
Additionally, a building structure type approach will be applied. Damage characteristics for different building ages and types are analysed and the necessary reconstruction measures and their costs identified.
The new damage models will be connected to a groundwater simulation model, resulting in a loss simulation model for groundwater flooding (SSM-GW).

© Dr. Heidi Kreibich

Data: for instance, interviews with affected households after the 2002 flood