A Geospatial Assessment of Flood Vulnerability Reduction by Freshwater Wetlands-A Benefit Indicators Approach

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Ecology
• Natural Hazard Management

Background:

• Flooding is a major U.S. disaster, exacerbated by habitat loss, increased development, and altered rainfall patterns.
• Green infrastructure, like freshwater wetlands, can mitigate flood damages by attenuating surface water.
• Communities often undervalue existing and potential flood-reduction benefits from wetlands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a nationally consistent dataset and indicators for assessing flood-reduction benefits from existing wetlands.
• To demonstrate the dataset's utility for rapid flood-reduction benefit assessment at regional and local scales.
• To identify communities with high flood-prone populations and wetland restoration potential for enhanced resilience.

Main Methods:

• Development of a nationally consistent dataset and high-resolution indicators for wetland flood-reduction benefits.
• Utilized national-scale indicators (e.g., CRSI, SoVI) to assess community resilience and recoverability.
• Focused analysis on Harris County, Texas, and the Gulf Coast region to identify priority areas for wetland protection and restoration.

Main Results:

• A dataset and indicators were created to map where people benefit from reduced flood risk due to existing wetlands.
• The dataset enables rapid assessment of flood-reduction benefits at various scales.
• Identified specific communities in the Gulf Coast region and Harris County with high potential for population benefit from wetland restoration.

Conclusions:

• The developed dataset and indicators can effectively guide wetland protection and restoration priorities.
• Integrating ecological data with socio-economic indicators enhances the identification of communities most likely to benefit from green infrastructure.
• This approach supports evidence-based decision-making for increasing community resilience to flooding.