A coupled flood-agent-institution modelling (CLAIM) framework for urban flood risk management

Authored by Igor Nikolic, Yared Abayneh Abebe, Amineh Ghorbani, Zoran Vojinovic, Arlex Sanchez

Date Published: 2019

DOI: 10.1016/j.envsoft.2018.10.015

Sponsors: European Projects

Platforms: Repast Java

Model Documentation: Other Narrative

Model Code URLs: https://github.com/yaredo77/Coupled_ABM-Flood_Model

Abstract

In this paper, we describe a modelling framework that allows the integration of human and physical components of flood risk. Within this framework, flood risk management is conceptualized as a coupled human-flood system. The human subsystem includes individuals and their behaviour and institutions that shape human-flood interaction. The framework presents a dynamic integration between agent-based models of individuals and institutions and numerical flood models. We demonstrate the framework's modelling application by examining the effects of three institutions in the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten. The case study shows the capabilities of the framework by exploring impacts of existing policies on flood risk reduction. Coupled agent-based-flood models built using the framework are useful to analyse policy options that address flood hazard and communities' vulnerability and exposure to support policy decision making. These models also show how flood risk changes over time in relation to the human dynamics on the urban environment.

Tags

Institutions Areas Agent-based modelling Socio-hydrology Coupled human-flood systems Flood risk management Urban flood modelling