The post [ViewPoints] Automation in GIS Data Processing helps identify flood hazards and determine possible responses first appeared on Associated Engineering.
]]>Climate change is affecting people, infrastructure, and ecosystems across Canada. Although the impacts are currently most pronounced in coastal regions, people and infrastructure everywhere are at risk. Many communities and infrastructure built in floodplains are at increased risk of flooding due to the projected effects of climate change and other non-stationary factors such as wildfires, dams, and other anthropogenic changes. In response to these risks, both the Canadian federal and provincial governments are mobilizing to identify and respond to flood hazards.
The goal of flood hazard mapping is to provide the first step towards tangible improvements to public safety. Real improvement comes from planning, analyzing, and developing adaptation and mitigation projects that are successfully implemented in communities.
Once a hazard has been identified, we often conduct flood risk assessments that evaluate the path of a potential flood and quantify the damages expected to people, infrastructure, and assets (such as houses, parks, or culturally significant places). This information helps secure funding for adaptation and mitigation projects by providing a quantifiable return on investment, and helps decision-makers prioritize adaptation or mitigation projects or areas.
Custom-built GIS tools are a key part of identifying flood hazards and determining adaptation and mitigation strategies
To facilitate flood hazard and flood risk assessments, Associated Engineering uses custom-built GIS tools to identify flood hazards. With the development of new, custom-built processes, work that was previously labour and time intensive can now be completed more efficiently. This allows our team to focus on collaborating with our clients to discuss risks and mitigation strategies, and design solutions that provide tangible improvements to public safety and flood risk reduction.
These tools have been used successfully on projects, and more are in active development to expand our suite of modelling and mapping tools. Additionally, our team is working on a research assignment to further optimize flood hazard mapping and make analysis more efficient and effective.
Automation in GIS data processing, including the tools discussed below, allows our team to more efficiently identify flood hazards so that we can focus on implementing solutions.
The Tools
Our team developed these automated, GIS data-processing tools to support flood mapping for 165 kilometres of rivers in BC, as part of the Flood Hazard Identification and Mapping Program. The visuals shown are not final; final mapping will be available online within one year of project completion. The tools address the challenges of providing large-scale, high-detail flood mapping. Some of these tools include:
Survey Processing and DEM Development: Linearizing, interpolating, and overlaying bathymetric survey with LiDAR to create a representative surface for use in hydraulic modelling. These automated methods help preserve data and expedite the processing time.
Model Results Extraction and Processing: Automated comparison and combination of result surfaces allows for robust analysis of multi-hazard scenarios.
Automated Generation and Review of Legal Flood Maps: Application of required freeboard and preparation of flood construction levels using a data-driven methodology.
About the Authors:
Andromeda MacIsaac, P.Eng. is Water Resources Engineer in our Vancouver office. She has 11 years of experience in hydrology, hydraulics, hydrologic/hydraulic modelling, and integrated water resources management. Her expertise includes modelling, analysis, and design of minor and major surface water systems and related hydraulic structures, including flood-plain mapping, existing system capacity analysis, fish passage structures, bridge sizing, stormwater best management practices, inflow/infiltration, and scour protection.
Chloe Sirges, E.I.T. is a Water Resources Engineer in our Vancouver office. Her water resources experience includes hydraulic modelling, flood-risk assessment and mitigation, site inspection, bridge scour condition assessments, and coastal work. Chloe is proficient in GIS data processing and flood-plain mapping
The post [ViewPoints] Automation in GIS Data Processing helps identify flood hazards and determine possible responses first appeared on Associated Engineering.
]]>The post ART Sessions – Back by Popular Demand! first appeared on Associated Engineering.
]]>We’re excited to share the news that the Adaptation Resilience Training (ART) program, an Alberta-focused set of introductory sessions that explore how professionals working in the province can raise their understanding about climate change and how to manage risks in community planning, is back! This program was launched in September 2021 and due to popular demand and feedback received, the core sessions will be hosted once again in March 2022.
Associated Engineering has been working with Alberta Environment and Parks to develop this free online training program for professionals interested in learning more about how to incorporate adaptation in their practice and build resilience in community planning.
Owen James and Garry Drachenberg will be among the speakers leading the March 2022 sessions.
Note: Registration is required to attend these sessions.
These sessions will enable participants to build their knowledge and a foundation of climate change literacy that informs, guides, and supports discussions and decision-making. Alberta-based examples will be used to illustrate the concepts and demonstrate what is happening locally.
This project is funded by Alberta Environment and Parks and Natural Resources Canada.
The post ART Sessions – Back by Popular Demand! first appeared on Associated Engineering.
]]>The post Associated Engineering supporting Climate Resilient Burlington project first appeared on Associated Engineering.
]]>Associated Engineering is supporting the City of Burlington to develop a climate change adaptation plan titled “Climate Resilient Burlington” (CRB) that will be used by the municipality to adapt to the changing climate and minimize the severity of resulting impacts. The goal of the CRB is to create a community wide plan, informed by both internal and external stakeholders, that addresses the risks and identifies opportunities to Burlington’s built, natural, social, and economic systems associated with warmer, wetter, and wilder weather. Implementing the plan will focus efforts from reactive to more proactive measures.
To date, Associated Engineering has:
The City of Burlington, with support from Associated Engineering, is hosting a virtual launch of the CRB project this Wednesday, October 27th. The free event is open to the public and will provide a high-level introduction of the project and feature keynote speaker David Phillips, Senior Climatologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada. In “Weather and Climate: It’s Not What Our Grandparents Knew”, David will highlight what’s happening to our weather, what we should be worried about, and what we can do to make a difference and be better prepared.
For more information and to register, please visit here.
The post Associated Engineering supporting Climate Resilient Burlington project first appeared on Associated Engineering.
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