Review of cost and adaptation measures related to UWCS. Political and sOcial awareness on Water EnviRonmental challenges

“A thorough understanding of adaptation measures’ costs, benefits and societal impact is required to prepare cities for the future. Since flood risk is a key climate challenge, it may serve as a focus for developing a comprehensive assessment matrix for Urban Water Cycles Services (UWCS). Accordingly, the aim of this report is to develop a framework to distinguish simple, refined, and comprehensive methods for damage assessments, identify key practical barriers and explore ways to address them. Through a three-pronged approach of literature review, expert questionnaires, and damage modelling, this report reviews methods to assess flood risks, seeks to determine the dominant flood damage types, and estimates flood risks from a pluvial flood event in Rotterdam and Leicester. This assessment matrix provides may provide the narrative for estimating costs, impacts and societal value for other UWCS. Results show that the assessment process is hindered by a lack of reliable and consistent data. This asks for continued research, especially since cost-benefit analyses, and more particularly multi-criteria analyses are key elements in risk communication and therefore form an inseparable component for constructive interaction between politicians, professionals and citizens that Digital Social Platforms aim to facilitate.”

(Citaat: Nicklin, H., van Leeuwen, C.J., Koop, S.H.A. – Review of cost and adaptation measures related to UWCS. Political and sOcial awareness on Water EnviRonmental challenges – POWER – D4.6 (2019))