Urban Resilience and Nature-Based Solutions: Data-Driven Flood & Heat Risk Management

To empower participants with the knowledge and skills to integrate nature-based solutions and data-driven hydrology into urban planning and development, ensuring greater resilience against climate-related challenges.

• Provide a deep understanding of nature-based solutions for urban resilience, including green infrastructure and ecosystem-based approaches.
• Introduce the principles and tools of data-driven hydrology, focusing on flood modeling, stormwater management, and climate adaptation.
• Equip participants with the ability to design and evaluate nature-based interventions that reduce urban flooding and improve water quality.
• Explore best practices in urban planning and design for climate resilience using data analytics and nature-based solutions.
• Foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing between academia, industry professionals, and policymakers involved in urban resilience and water management.

📅 Day 1: Foundations of Urban Resilience and Nature-Based Solutions

• Importance of urban resilience in climate-vulnerable cities
• Basics of nature-based solutions for urban flood and heat-risk reduction
• Urban water-management challenges in rapidly growing cities
• Role of green infrastructure in stormwater control and ecosystem services
• Bio-retention systems, rain gardens, green roofs and permeable pavements
• Identification of urban heat islands and flood-prone zones using spatial data
• Case studies of cities using nature-based solutions for climate adaptation

🛠️ Hands-on:

• Hands-on 1: Urban Heat Island and Flood Vulnerability Mapping
• Hands-on 2: Green Infrastructure Layout Design for an Urban Watershed

🧰 Tools Covered: GIS Platform, Open Mapping Data, Remote Sensing Data

📅 Day 2: Data-Driven Hydrology and Advanced Urban Water Modeling

• Importance of data-driven hydrology in urban drainage and flood management
• Introduction to urban catchments, runoff generation, and drainage-network behavior
• Basics of EPA SWMM, HydroCAD and equivalent urban hydrology modeling platforms
• Rainfall-runoff modeling for urban flood-risk assessment
• Calibration and validation of hydrological models using observed data
• Introduction to Python/R for hydrological data analysis
• Machine learning applications in streamflow prediction and rainfall-runoff forecasting
• Sensor networks for real-time watershed and drainage-system monitoring

🛠️ Hands-on:

• Hands-on 1: Urban Catchment Modeling using SWMM / HydroCAD
• Hands-on 2: Hydrological Model Calibration and Validation using Python/R

🧰 Tools Covered: EPA SWMM, HydroCAD, Python, R

📅 Day 3: Integration, Climate Scenarios and Future Urban Resilience Planning

• Integrating nature-based solutions with hydrological model outputs
• Multi-criteria decision analysis for selecting suitable NBS interventions
• Evaluating NBS performance under climate-change rainfall scenarios
• Policy, governance, and regulatory considerations for urban resilience projects
• Financing models for green infrastructure, including PPPs and green bonds
• Digital twins and AI-optimized infrastructure for future-ready cities
• Implementation roadmap for scalable urban resilience and water-management projects

🛠️ Hands-on:

• Hands-on 1: Climate Scenario Simulation for NBS Performance Evaluation
• Hands-on 2: Capstone Design Challenge: Urban Resilience Plan for a Real/Sample Site

🧰 Tools Covered: SWMM, HydroCAD, Python, R, GIS Platform

• Students: Undergraduate or graduate students in environmental science, urban planning, civil engineering, or related fields.
• Academicians/Faculty: Professors and researchers focused on urban resilience, water management, or climate adaptation.
• Industry Professionals: Engineers, urban planners, and environmental consultants working in water management, sustainability, or climate resilience sectors.
• Government Officials and Policymakers: Professionals involved in urban planning, disaster risk reduction, or climate change adaptation at local or national levels.
• Prerequisites: A basic understanding of environmental science or urban planning is recommended, but not mandatory. No prior experience with hydrological modeling or nature-based solutions is required.

• Understand the role of nature-based solutions (NBS) in improving urban resilience to flooding, heat, and other climate impacts.
• Gain hands-on experience in applying data-driven hydrological models and tools to assess water management in urban settings.
• Learn to design and implement NBS such as green roofs, permeable pavements, and urban wetlands to enhance water retention and reduce flood risks.
• Explore case studies of successful NBS applications in cities around the world.
• Be equipped to contribute to urban resilience projects, integrating ecological and data-driven solutions to address urban water challenges.