How to Use Infrastructure for Flood Resilience

⛈️ Stormwater management might not make headlines, but it’s one of the most powerful ways civil engineers can create sustainable, resilient communities. Instead of seeing rainwater as a nuisance, we can design our sites to treat every drop as a resource. Here are some of the key tools civil engineers use: ✅ Bioretention areas & rain gardens: These landscaped basins collect runoff and filter pollutants through soil and plants, mimicking natural hydrology. ✅ Green roofs: By capturing rain where it falls, green roofs reduce peak flows, insulate buildings, and create valuable green space in dense urban areas. ✅ Permeable pavements: Unlike traditional concrete or asphalt, permeable systems allow water to soak through, recharging groundwater and reducing flooding. ✅ Bioswales & vegetated channels: These gently sloped planted conveyance systems slow, filter, and direct runoff to further treatment areas. ✅ Underground detention and infiltration systems: Hidden below parking lots or open spaces, these structures temporarily hold water and release it slowly or allow it to infiltrate. When we rethink our relationship with rain, we transform it from a problem into a solution — protecting water quality, reducing urban heat, and creating more beautiful, livable places. 💡 As civil engineers, we hold the blueprint to turn every storm into an opportunity for resilience. #Sustainability #Stormwater #GreenInfrastructure #CivilEngineering

Diverting floodwater from roadways ensures safe passage and protects infrastructure integrity. A successful approach includes a mix of engineered solutions and natural methods. Engineered solutions encompass constructing drainage systems like swales, catch basins, and French drains to divert runoff from roads. Elevating road levels and erecting flood barriers effectively avert flooding incidents. Incorporating green infrastructure, such as rain gardens and permeable pavements, facilitates natural absorption, reducing runoff. Regular maintenance of clear drainage channels and proactive debris removal are vital for the optimal functioning of these systems, especially during heavy rainfall periods.

Everyone talks about flood recovery. But what if you could prevent floods entirely? Meet Japan’s Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel — a $3 billion system that protects Tokyo from typhoons and floods without anyone seeing it. → Pumps 200 tons of water per second (enough to drain an Olympic pool in 12 seconds). → Channels floodwater away from 3M+ residents during major storms. → Built with 13M cubic meters of removed earth = enough to bury a 50-story skyscraper. → Has prevented $50B+ in flood damage since 2006, with 99% uptime. — Why I love this: 1️⃣ It’s invisible infrastructure. While others rebuild, Japan prevents. The system activates automatically during critical periods, requiring zero manual intervention. 2️⃣ It’s engineered with foresight. 14 years of planning went into this before climate models even predicted today’s extremes. They designed for uncertainty. 3️⃣ It proves infrastructure ROI is real. Every $1 invested returned $17 in prevented damages. That’s better than most venture bets. — The lesson? Some of the best infrastructure works so you don’t notice it. What’s one example of invisible infrastructure you think deserves more attention? 👇

This is how China is designing flood-resistant cities. They are using modern technology that can be replicated in flood-affected areas around the globe. With a focus on innovative engineering and sustainable practices, Chinese urban planners are implementing advanced drainage systems, green spaces, and permeable surfaces to mitigate flooding risks. In cities like Zhengzhou, which experienced devastating floods in 2021, authorities are taking proactive measures by constructing elevated walkways, improving water retention areas, and incorporating natural features into urban landscapes. These strategies aim to absorb excess rainwater and reduce runoff, enhancing the resilience of urban infrastructure. Additionally, smart technologies such as real-time data monitoring and AI-driven predictive models are being integrated into city planning. These tools enable quick responses to weather changes, allowing for timely evacuations and better resource allocation during flooding events. China's approach not only addresses immediate flood risks but also promotes sustainable development by prioritizing environmental harmony. By sharing these technologies and strategies with other nations, China is leading the way in global efforts to combat climate change and protect vulnerable communities from the impacts of flooding. This comprehensive approach showcases the potential for innovation in urban planning, setting a precedent for flood resilience worldwide. ©: Business Insider

When every risk feels urgent, how do you know where to act first? That was the challenge in Honolulu’s Ala Wai watershed—where flood risk, urban development, and aging infrastructure collided. The stakes were high, but resources weren’t unlimited. Working with 3Rwater, Inc., we helped identify where action would make the biggest impact—and how to move forward: ✔️ Mapped flood and water quality risk hotspots to target solutions where they mattered most. ✔️ Integrated green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) to reduce runoff and improve resilience. ✔️ Prioritized high-impact interventions so funding went where it would deliver real results. The result? Immediate flood risk reduction in key areas, smarter investments by tackling high-risk zones first, and a data-backed strategy that turned plans into action(!!). Too often, resilience planning stops at reports. This is what it looks like when it leads to real change. How is your community making resilience actionable? #Resilience #FloodRisk #DisasterPlanning #ClimateAdaptation #WaterManagement #CommunityResilience #GreenInfrastructure Lauren C. Roth Venu Kinga Stryszowska-Hill, Ph.D.

The Netherlands is now pioneering an ingenious urban solution: water squares. These are not just public parks; they are brilliant, multi-purpose hubs that double as intelligent flood-control systems. In dry weather, they are lively community spaces with playgrounds and markets. But when heavy rain falls, they transform into temporary basins, capturing and storing water to prevent local flooding. This innovative approach turns flood management into a valuable community asset instead of an eyesore. Pioneered in cities like Rotterdam, these designs show that urban infrastructure can be both functional and beautiful, seamlessly blending smart engineering with everyday city life. It's a great example of how we can build more resilient, people-friendly cities for the future. #water #Resilience #Sustainability

🌧️🌊 What if your city could protect itself — automatically — when floods strike? No sandbags. No emergency crews rushing in. No last-minute panic. Just water rising... and the ground responding. This isn’t science fiction. It’s a real invention — and it’s already saving cities around the world. 💡 Meet the Self-Closing Flood Barrier (SCFB™) — a smart design that activates on its own when water levels rise. Created by Dutch inventor Johann van den Noort, this barrier is hidden underground during dry weather. But when floodwater appears, the rising pressure lifts the barrier — automatically and without electricity. Here’s what makes it a game-changer: ✅ No human operation needed ✅ No time delay — reacts instantly ✅ Fully mechanical — no electronics to fail ✅ Custom fit for metro stations, garages, riversides & more 🌍 Why does this innovation matter more than ever? Because cities are facing: 🌧️ Heavier rainstorms 🌊 Rising sea levels 🏙️ Expanding urban zones with little drainage Traditional flood protection is slow, manual, and often comes too late. But the SCFB™ works with nature, not against it — rising with the threat, then disappearing when the danger passes. It’s invisible when dry, unstoppable when wet. 🧠 The smartest technologies are the ones that do their job quietly — and save lives when it matters most. Would your city benefit from self-rising flood protection? Could this tech help safeguard homes, transport, and infrastructure where you live? 👇 Drop your thoughts below 🔁 Follow me and feel free to Repost 👥 Tag a civil engineer, policymaker, or climate strategist #FloodProtection #UrbanResilience #SmartInfrastructure #SelfClosingFloodBarrier #HYFLO #ClimateInnovation #RisingWithWater #SustainableCities #FloodSafetyTech #UrbanPlanning #WaterManagement #SmartCitySolutions #ClimateAdaptation #DisasterPrevention

In the Saturday, September 2, 2023, issue of The Wall Street Journal, reporter Joe Barrett describes Chicago's $3.8 billion flood control plan as being both ambitious and inadequate. The inadequacy arises from the assumption that future rain events will be like past ones. Many people believe, with some support from climate data, that we are experiencing a gradual transition to fewer, but more intense, rain events. But, at least, Chicago is attempting to tackle a problem that exists all over America. A better solution than investing in more storm drainage is to employ a strategy of "green infrastructure." Relative to rainfall, this means that communities should reverse the use of impermeable surfaces and create more permeable drainage. This delivers three benefits: 1. It reduces the strain on storm drain systems by having more of the rainfall get absorbed where it falls. 2. It increases the percentage of rainfall that is available to nourish the soil and the bushes, plants, flowers and trees planted in that soil. 3. It reduces the water contamination results from the mixing of rainwater with sewer effluent flowing into larger water bodies. Rainwater remains clean because it does not end up in the storm drainage system. This is a different kind of capital investment project than either enlarging storm drains or building beach barriers. It reverses the past increases in impermeable surfaces. It also requires communities to change zoning rules that mandate minimum off-street parking space availability, since excess parking lot space constitutes a major source of impermeable off-street surfaces. It also puts greater limits on outward expansion of single family homes, since these add to impermeable surfaces. Flood control requires a more creative use of drainage strategies than has been used in the past. I am glad that The Wall Street Journal has shone a spotlight on this issue.

Raleigh isn’t waiting for a storm to hit before acting—they’re out ahead of it. In a smart, calculated move that sets the city apart, Raleigh has been quietly laying the groundwork for a more sustainable urban future through its aggressive push for green stormwater infrastructure. From parks to transit hubs, and even near wetlands, the city is integrating systems that collect, filter, and repurpose rainwater before it ever becomes a problem. What started with cisterns and a Rainwater Rewards rebate program in 2010 has gained serious traction in the past five years, thanks to over a thousand consultations annually and a rising tide of public and private sector engagement. What’s most compelling is Raleigh’s strategic vision—this isn’t a reactive measure to fix sewer overflow issues; it’s a proactive choice rooted in long-term environmental and infrastructural resilience. In 2023, the city took it a step further, mandating evaluations of green infrastructure for all municipal projects and expanding that lens to private development and rezoning. Engineers and landscape architects have responded with innovative solutions—think underground systems that nourish street-level trees, blending form, function, and aesthetic. As other cities scramble to fix what’s broken, Raleigh’s already designing systems to avoid the break. It’s not just sustainability—it’s sustainability with foresight. Read the article: https://lnkd.in/eEg3nuzp Check out the NPDES Stormwater Training Institute’s MS4 Green Infrastructure Technician Certification course: https://lnkd.in/gway9Rhm #npdestraining #stormwatertraining #npdesstormwatertraininginstitute