PHYSICAL AND NUMERICAL STUDIES ON THE EFFICACY OF MANGROVE FORESTS FOR WAVE ATTENUATION AND STRUCTURAL IMPACT

Low-lying regions are vulnerable to extreme waves and surges triggered by hurricanes and tsunamis. Anticipated sea-level rise is expected to cause shorelines to encroach further onto coastal land, potentially exacerbating the risk of flood-induced damage to coastal areas. Consequently, the implementation of countermeasure structures is imperative in mitigating wave-induced overland flows. Recently, Natural and Nature-Based Features (green structures), such as mangroves, have garnered significant attention for their potential to mitigate flood hazards. Mangrove forests are acknowledged as ecological buffer zones that effectively attenuate wave energy, protect shorelines, and enhance ecological functions. Dang et al. (2023) conducted a series of 1:16 scaled physical experiments to evaluate the efficacy of mangrove forests in mitigating inundating tsunami-like waves. However, this experiment only quantitatively analyzed flow dynamics at specific positions, and a comprehensive study of tsunami-induced flow patterns in coastal communities, characterized by a series of building arrays shielded by mangrove forests, has yet to be thoroughly investigated. Therefore, this study conducted a numerical investigation to further examine the influences of mangroves on dynamic flooding patterns and force mitigation on a series of building rows.