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An Integrated Approach to Flood Risk Management: A Case Study of Navaluenga (Central Spain)

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Abstract

Flood risk management decisions require the rational assessment of mitigation strategies. This is a complex decision-making process involving many uncertainties. This paper presents a case study where a cost-benefit based methodology is used to define the best intervention measures for flood-risk mitigation in central Spain. Based on different flood hazard scenarios, several structural measures considered by the local Basin Water Authority and others defined by engineering criteria were checked for operability. Non-systematic data derived from dendrogeomorphological analysis of riparian trees were included in the flood frequency analysis. Flood damage was assessed by means of depth-damage functions, and flooded urban areas were obtained by applying a hydraulic model. The best defense strategies were obtained by a cost-benefit procedure, where uncertainties derived from each analytical process were incorporated based on a stochastic approach to estimate expected economic losses. The results showed that large structural solutions are not economically viable when compared with other smaller structural measures, presumably because of the pre-established location of dams in the upper part of the basin which do not laminate the flow generated by the surrounding catchment to Navaluenga.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been funded by the MAS Dendro-Avenidas project (CGL2010-19274), MAPFRE foundation and the Geological Survey of Spain (IGME). The authors would like to thank the local authorities of Navaluenga for their collaboration, as well as the anonymous reviewer, who have improved significantly this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Dendrogeomorphology, Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Berne, Baltzerstrasse 1-3, Berne, 3012, Switzerland

    J. A. Ballesteros-Cánovas

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia

    M. Sanchez-Silva

  3. Mining and Geological Engineering Department, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Fábrica de Armas, Avda. Carlos III, Toledo, 45071, Spain

    J. M. Bodoque

  4. Department of Research and Geoscientific Prospective, Geological Survey of Spain (IGME), Ríos Rosas 23, Madrid, 28003, Spain

    A. Díez-Herrero

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  1. J. A. Ballesteros-Cánovas
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  2. M. Sanchez-Silva
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  3. J. M. Bodoque
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  4. A. Díez-Herrero
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Correspondence to J. A. Ballesteros-Cánovas.

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Ballesteros-Cánovas, J.A., Sanchez-Silva, M., Bodoque, J.M. et al. An Integrated Approach to Flood Risk Management: A Case Study of Navaluenga (Central Spain). Water Resour Manage 27, 3051–3069 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-013-0332-1

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