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Analysing peak flow attenuation in an urban wetland
Worldwide urbanization and climate change are influential in changing precipitation patterns and hydrological flow resulting in event driven urban flooding. The approach to flood protection has recently shifted from engineered and technical solutions to more sustainable and integrated solutions, by...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Environmental and Geographical Science
2016
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| _version_ | 1867613297781506048 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Giermek, Monica Grace |
| author2 | Winter, Kevin |
| author_browse | Giermek, Monica Grace Winter, Kevin |
| author_facet | Winter, Kevin Giermek, Monica Grace |
| author_sort | Giermek, Monica Grace |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Worldwide urbanization and climate change are influential in changing precipitation patterns and hydrological flow resulting in event driven urban flooding. The approach to flood protection has recently shifted from engineered and technical solutions to more sustainable and integrated solutions, by considering social, ecological and physical implications and exploring sustainable urban drainage options. Attenuation of peak stormwater flow using natural wetlands is one of many sustainable urban drainage methods used to reduce flooding and is an approach of interest for this research. The study site is located within the small, urbanized river system of the Liesbeek River in Cape Town, South Africa, which is prone to localized flooding during annual winter rainfall events. The study measures the attenuation capacity of a small-scale wetland adjacent to an urban river using a 2D PCSWMM hydrodynamic model. Research is focused on illustrating the attenuation capacity of this wetland. The model ran historic flow data to determine the attenuation capacity and to measure peak flow reduction. While the reduction is not sufficient to reduce damaging floods, the findings provide new knowledge and understanding of the attenuation capacity of this wetland and motivation for expanding sustainable urban drainage within the catchment. The study aims to build a baseline dataset for the research site with the data available at present. Peak flow of the Liesbeek River was reduced in scenarios with the Valkenberg Wetland present to accept on a portion of this flow. Attenuation was most effective for rainfall events with sudden spikes in peak flow, where a 42 per cent reduction of peak flow was observed. For a scenario with lower flow rates yet a prolonged peak flow rate, the wetland was less effective, with a 20 per cent reduction observed. This wetland was found to have the potential to provide valuable ecosystem services to the area by attenuating peak flow and thus reducing the occurrence of property damaging flooding downstream. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/19960 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:33:54.099Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publishDateRange | 2016 |
| publishDateSort | 2016 |
| publisher | Department of Environmental and Geographical Science |
| publisherStr | Department of Environmental and Geographical Science |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/19960 Analysing peak flow attenuation in an urban wetland Giermek, Monica Grace Winter, Kevin Climate Change and Development Worldwide urbanization and climate change are influential in changing precipitation patterns and hydrological flow resulting in event driven urban flooding. The approach to flood protection has recently shifted from engineered and technical solutions to more sustainable and integrated solutions, by considering social, ecological and physical implications and exploring sustainable urban drainage options. Attenuation of peak stormwater flow using natural wetlands is one of many sustainable urban drainage methods used to reduce flooding and is an approach of interest for this research. The study site is located within the small, urbanized river system of the Liesbeek River in Cape Town, South Africa, which is prone to localized flooding during annual winter rainfall events. The study measures the attenuation capacity of a small-scale wetland adjacent to an urban river using a 2D PCSWMM hydrodynamic model. Research is focused on illustrating the attenuation capacity of this wetland. The model ran historic flow data to determine the attenuation capacity and to measure peak flow reduction. While the reduction is not sufficient to reduce damaging floods, the findings provide new knowledge and understanding of the attenuation capacity of this wetland and motivation for expanding sustainable urban drainage within the catchment. The study aims to build a baseline dataset for the research site with the data available at present. Peak flow of the Liesbeek River was reduced in scenarios with the Valkenberg Wetland present to accept on a portion of this flow. Attenuation was most effective for rainfall events with sudden spikes in peak flow, where a 42 per cent reduction of peak flow was observed. For a scenario with lower flow rates yet a prolonged peak flow rate, the wetland was less effective, with a 20 per cent reduction observed. This wetland was found to have the potential to provide valuable ecosystem services to the area by attenuating peak flow and thus reducing the occurrence of property damaging flooding downstream. 2016-06-09T11:14:52Z 2016-06-09T11:14:52Z 2015 Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/19960 eng application/pdf Department of Environmental and Geographical Science Faculty of Science University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Climate Change and Development Giermek, Monica Grace Analysing peak flow attenuation in an urban wetland |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Analysing peak flow attenuation in an urban wetland |
| title_full | Analysing peak flow attenuation in an urban wetland |
| title_fullStr | Analysing peak flow attenuation in an urban wetland |
| title_full_unstemmed | Analysing peak flow attenuation in an urban wetland |
| title_short | Analysing peak flow attenuation in an urban wetland |
| title_sort | analysing peak flow attenuation in an urban wetland |
| topic | Climate Change and Development |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/19960 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT giermekmonicagrace analysingpeakflowattenuationinanurbanwetland |