A procedure for human safety assessment during hydropeaking events

Hydropower operations often alter natural river flows, creating hydropeaking events. These events involve sudden changes in water discharge, which can affect ecosystems and human activities. While much research has focused on ecological impacts, human safety during these events remains understudied. Alpine rivers, in particular, face frequent flow fluctuations due to energy production. Recreational use of these rivers increases the need for safety assessments. Prior studies have not explored interactions between hydropeaking and human risk. This gap motivates the development of a new procedure. The lack of quantitative tools for risk evaluation is a key issue. Understanding how flow changes affect escape possibilities is essential for risk management. This paper introduces a novel approach to address these concerns.

The study aims to develop a method for assessing human safety during hydropeaking events in Alpine rivers. It seeks to bridge the knowledge gap between ecological studies and human risk analysis. The primary goal is to evaluate how rapidly changing flows impact human stability and escape options. This involves combining hydraulic simulations with safety analysis. The method is tested on a specific river reach in northern Italy. The study explores two main aspects: stability during hydropeaking and escape strategies. The focus is on identifying areas of high risk and quantifying escape difficulty. The ultimate aim is to provide a tool for risk parameterization during hydropeaking events.

The proposed method integrates hydraulic modeling with human safety analysis. Numerical simulations are used to model flow characteristics during hydropeaking events. These simulations provide data on water depth, velocity, and slope. A human safety analysis is then applied to assess stability and escape possibilities. Dijkstra's algorithm is adapted to model escape routes. Penalty functions are introduced to quantify movement difficulty between nodes. These functions consider slope, roughness, and flow velocity. The method is applied to a case study in an Alpine river in north Italy.

The results indicate that escape difficulty increases with higher flow rates. Central river areas show the lowest human safety indices. Penalty functions effectively capture movement challenges based on slope and flow. The model identifies regions where escape is most difficult during hydropeaking events. Hydraulic simulations reveal flow patterns that impact human stability. Escape routes are more constrained in areas with steep slopes and high velocities. The study demonstrates the feasibility of using quantitative indices for risk assessment. The method provides a framework for evaluating and parameterizing human risk during hydropeaking events.

The study proposes a procedure for assessing human safety during hydropeaking events. The method combines hydraulic simulations with escape route analysis. Results suggest that flow rate strongly influences escape difficulty. Central river areas are identified as high-risk zones. The use of penalty functions allows for a quantitative evaluation of movement challenges. The approach provides a tool for risk parameterization in Alpine rivers. The findings support the need for further application of the method in other river systems. The study contributes to the development of safety assessment tools for hydropeaking events.