A Geospatial Assessment Toolbox for Spatial Allocation of Large-Scale Nature-Based Solutions for Hydrometeorological Risk Reduction

The compounding effects of hydrometeorological hazards are being driven by climate change. As urban areas expand, this leads to degradation of the surrounding environment and exposes more people to hazards. Growing losses show that conventional approaches to addressing these issues can compound these problems. Over the last few decades, nature-based solutions (NBSs) have become an increasingly popular alternative. These measures, inspired by natural processes, have shown potential for reducing hazards by complementing traditional approaches and providing co-benefits in the form of eco-system services. With the adoption of NBSs becoming a more mainstream approach, there is a need for tools that support the planning and implementation of interventions. Geospatial suitability assessment is a part of this planning process. Existing tools are limited in their application for large-scale measures. This paper intends to improve this by building upon a multi-criteria analysis (MCA)-based approach that incorporates biophysical and land use criteria and conditions for mapping the suitability of large-scale NBSs. The methodology was developed and tested on six sites to assess the suitability of floodplain restoration, retention or detention, afforestation, and forest buffer strips. The resulting suitability maps also show potential for combining two or more measures for greater risk reduction.

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Publication Details

Journal
Hydrology
Published
2025-10-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology12100272
Primary Topic
Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

A Geospatial Assessment Toolbox for Spatial Allocation of Large-Scale Nature-Based Solutions for Hydrometeorological Risk Reduction

Zoran Vojinović, Laddaporn Ruangpan, Katarzyna Izydorczyk, Nataša Manojlović et al.
Hydrology
Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
article

A Geospatial Assessment Toolbox for Spatial Allocation of Large-Scale Nature-Based Solutions for Hydrometeorological Risk Reduction

Zoran Vojinović, Laddaporn Ruangpan, Katarzyna Izydorczyk, Nataša Manojlović, Jasna Plavšić, João P. Leitão, Adam Mubeen, Draženka Kvesić, Ahmad Fikri Abdullah, Božidar Deduš, Guido Paliaga, Vishal Balaji Devanand, Arlex Sánchez, Agnieszka Wojcieszak, Marzena Rutkowska-Filipczak, Tamara Sudar, Lyudmil Ikonomov, Valery Penchev
article en

Abstract

The compounding effects of hydrometeorological hazards are being driven by climate change. As urban areas expand, this leads to degradation of the surrounding environment and exposes more people to hazards. Growing losses show that conventional approaches to addressing these issues can compound these problems. Over the last few decades, nature-based solutions (NBSs) have become an increasingly popular alternative. These measures, inspired by natural processes, have shown potential for reducing hazards by complementing traditional approaches and providing co-benefits in the form of eco-system services. With the adoption of NBSs becoming a more mainstream approach, there is a need for tools that support the planning and implementation of interventions. Geospatial suitability assessment is a part of this planning process. Existing tools are limited in their application for large-scale measures. This paper intends to improve this by building upon a multi-criteria analysis (MCA)-based approach that incorporates biophysical and land use criteria and conditions for mapping the suitability of large-scale NBSs. The methodology was developed and tested on six sites to assess the suitability of floodplain restoration, retention or detention, afforestation, and forest buffer strips. The resulting suitability maps also show potential for combining two or more measures for greater risk reduction.

HydrologyVol. 12(10)
Universiti Putra Malaysia (MY), Croatian Chamber of Economy (HR), Universität Hamburg (DE), University of Exeter (GB), IHE Delft Institute for Water Education (NL), University of Belgrade (RS), Black Sea NGO Network (BG), Deltares (NL), University of Bijeljina (BA), International Geographical Union (ZA), Regional Water Management Authority in Warsaw (PL), European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology (PL), Varna Free University (BG), Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (CH), Hamburg University of Technology (DE), Delft University of Technology (NL), Polish Academy of Sciences (PL)
European Commission
Openalex Percentile: Top 73%
Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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