A Comprehensive Review of Cutting-Edge Flood Modelling Approaches for Urban Flood Resilience Enhancement

Abstract

Urban environments face a growing threat from floods, driven by factors like excessive rainfall, inadequate drainage, rapid urbanization, and climate-amplified extreme weather events. These floods inflict significant economic losses, endanger public health, and impede disaster response. This review tackles a critical issue by exploring the most effective flood modelling approaches for urban areas. Through a comprehensive analysis, it examines various hydrologic and hydraulic models such as SWAT, HEC-HMS, VIC, TOPMODEL, HBV, ANUGA, LISFLOOD, HEC-RAS, SWMM, MIKE URBAN, and others, highlighting their strengths and limitations, and offering a structured comparison based on criteria for selecting the appropriate model. The research revealed that integrating HEC-HMS and HEC-RAS produced the most favourable outcomes for urban flood modelling when open channels are key components, where the spatial extent of the flood, water surface profile, and velocity are easily determined by the HEC-RAS model. Conversely, SWMM integrates surface runoff and underground drainage, providing comprehensive urban water management. This nuanced understanding underscores the importance of selecting appropriate modelling approaches based on the unique characteristics of urban environments, ensuring effective flood management strategies tailored to the specific challenges each area presents. These urban flood modelling techniques serve as indispensable tools in forecasting flood patterns, evaluating vulnerability levels, and formulating effective strategies to mitigate risks. By empowering informed decision-making in urban planning and disaster management, these models are critical for minimizing the devastating effects of floods on communities and infrastructure. This review provides valuable insights for developing resilient urban areas prepared to navigate the complex challenges of urban flooding. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2024.