Experts study flood-prone areas to present possible solutions
GIS - Friday, February 3rd, 2012 at 8:54 AM
Dr. Zoran Vojinovic showing computer models of work done in St. Maarten to the Director of DDM Ms. Sharleen DaBreo. (Photos Courtesy of DDM)
Thursday, February 2 – Dr. Zoran Vojinovic, an Associate Professor of Hydroinformatics at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Institute for Water Education (IHE) in the Netherlands is currently analysing the flood hazard areas of the Virgin Islands.
Dr. Vojinovic and Ms. Garymar Rivera, the Senior Technical Planning Manager at the Department of Disaster Management (DDM), will visit locations throughout the Territory and review reports, photographs and video footage of past events. Additionally, they will meet with District Officers and residents from areas that have experienced flooding, to discuss key issues and gain more knowledge about past flood events.
Speaking about his recent projects, Dr. Vojinovic said, “UNESCO IHE has been involved in a number of different activities under the EU/UNDP Regional Risk Reduction Initiative (R3i) project. I am personally involved with the flood risk issues in St. Maarten, so I was asked to come and look at the issues here, and propose cost-effective solutions.”
Dr. Vojinovic and his team have done intense work in creating numerical models for coastal and flash flooding in parts of St. Maarten and St. Martin and have proposed a number of natural solutions to both governments.
Dr. Vojinovic is expected to utilise available Geographic Information Systems and hazard data to prepare maps and models that will demonstrate the extent of the possible impact of various flood scenarios that can affect the Virgin Islands.
This work will lead to the identification of Mitigation measures to minimise the impact of future flood events on the more vulnerable locations throughout the Territory. On Friday, February 3, he will present a summary of his findings to a number of key stakeholders at the DDM conference room.
Through the work of the R3i Project, the Virgin Islands are expected to receive computer models that will demonstrate how coastal storm surges and tsunami impacts could affect our islands. As a result of the Virgin Islands’ involvement in the R3i Project, the DDM learned of the work being done by Dr. Vojinovic and his team in St Maarten and St Martin, and are in a position to benefit from his expertise.
The R3i Project is a 4.9Million Euro regional initiative funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme.
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It really isn’t that difficult to resolve. PROPER DRAINAGE. BUILD DRAINS TO CREATE PATHS FOR WATER TO FLOW INTO THE OCEAN!!! THERE, FREE ADVICE. TRY IT.
Exactly! We are probably the only place in the entire world that is completely surrounded by water and still flood. We have flooding take place with the ocean just a few feet away. What’s so hard with getting the water to flow from up the hills, on the roads etc. straight out to sea? LOL!
Though the portion of rain that is not captured by trees, settled on roof tops, or infiltrate into the ground, ends up outfalling into the sea. Getting it safely and effectively out to sea is not as simple as it may appear. In fact drainage is not as simple as it may appear. The hydrology and hydraulics of drainage is a study on to itself.
The behavior of drainage runoff is pretty simple. It flows from a high point to a low point. Secondly, it flow s to a bottom and overtops the lowest point in the bottom and then flows to another bottom. It continues this process until it reaches the ghut, sea, pond, river or other outfalls. Over time nature develops flood plains and floodways to safely and effectively handled runoff. But growth and development normally encroach on flood plains, causing flooding. To prevent or minmize flooding, drainage systems have to be put in place to collect and convey runoff away from developed areas. Ghuts, culverts,pipes, and boxes must be properly designed, sized, constructed, and maintained to collect and convey the runoff.
Really, it is not that complicated especially with the sort of terrain in the BVI.
If it were that simple, why could PWD just put some HDPE or RCP or dig a ditch and all our flooding problems will be solved? If it so easy to fix, why is government hiring drainage consultants to craft solutions? Perhaps it’s a little more complicated than we think.
In thinking about drainage, the terms cfs(Q), surcharging, hydraulic grade line…,.etc comes to mind. Drainage principles do not change with a country’s size. What is different is the size of the systems and components. Nonetheless, what is needed is a master plan.
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