Assessment Framework for the Impacts of Climate Change and Urbanization on Urban Drainage Systems

It has been widely recognized that global climate change will have negative impacts not only on the natural environment but also on the human-built environment. This paper describes the framework developed to assess the potential impacts of climate change and urbanization on drainage systems of Australian urban cities. One of real concerns is how the flooding risk will change over the next 5–25 years under such possible impacts. In this study, the assessment method is explored with regards to two major effects of climate change (i.e. changed pattern of storm event and rising sea level), two effects of urbanization (i.e. increasing impervious area and storm water harvesting) and two effects of hydraulic deterioration (i.e. reduced cross-sectional area and increased internal surface roughness of conduits). The framework is demonstrated on a simulation study at street. The outcomes of this study will provide preliminary understanding on how drainage systems respond to changing climate inputs and also guided steps to implement the framework on real-world problems.