What are the reasons for urban flooding?

Meteorological Factors: Heavy rainfall, cyclonic storms, and thunderstorms. Hydrological Factors: Overbank flow channel networks, the occurrence of high tides impeding the drainage in coastal cities. Anthropogenic Factors: Unplanned Urbanization: Unplanned Urbanization is the key cause of urban flooding.

What is urban flooding and causes of urban flooding?

Urban flooding occurs when stormwater flows into an urban area at a higher rate than it can be absorbed into the ground or moved to waterbody (lake, river, etc.) or stored in a reservoir. The increased flow of water can be due to river floods, flash flooding, coastal flooding, or rapid snowmelt [3].

What is meant by urban flooding?

Urban floods stem from a combination of various meteorological and hydrological extremes, such as extreme precipitation and flows in short spans of time. Direct impacts from major flooding events, such as the recent urban flooding seen in Karachi and Lahore, represent the biggest risk to life and property.

How do floods affect urban areas?

The urban floods in the city causes great amount of destruction and inconvenience; causes heavy traffic jam due to street water logging, paralyzes day to day activities, damage the urban infrastructure viz, roads, bridges, electric poles etc causing severe economic damage.

Where does urban flooding occur?

We usually assume that flooding is more likely along rivers or coasts; that’s the backbone of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), floodplain mapping efforts, and local flood-related planning. However, the report finds that urban flooding happens in places that are well outside of mapped floodplains.

What problems are faced by people living in flood affected areas?

Floods have large social consequences for communities and individuals. As most people are well aware, the immediate impacts of flooding include loss of human life, damage to property, destruction of crops, loss of livestock, and deterioration of health conditions owing to waterborne diseases.

How does urbanization affect vulnerability?

Urban areas are not disaster prone by nature; rather the socio-economic structural processes that accelerate rapid urbanization, population movement and population concentrations substantially increase disaster vulnerability, particularly of low-income urban dwellers.

How does floods affect the environment?

In fact, some ecosystems rely on seasonal flooding to drive ecological processes. Flooding can have a negative effect on wildlife, causing drowning, disease proliferation, and habitat destruction. Unpredictable floods can be harmful even to aquatic life. For example, fish can be displaced and their nests destroyed.

What is vulnerability of the urban environment?

Urban vulnerability is understood as a product of exposure of urban residents (particularly poor populations) to climate hazards and their limited capacity to cope with or adapt to such impacts.