GIS-BASED FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT IN HAMMARÖ MUNICIPALITY: A case study based on a multicriteria approach
2026 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
Sustainable management of urban stormwaters has become increasingly important in relation to climate change, as it reduces damage to critical infrastructure, private property and ecosystems. Extreme weather events, such as heavy precipitation, are occurring more frequently and are projected to increase further in both frequency and intensity due to global warming. At the same time, urban densification and expansion of impervious surfaces alter functions of the hydrological cycle, impairing natural drainage processes and increasing the risk of pluvial flooding. The purpose of this study is to evaluate stormwater related flood risk in Hammarö Municipality. This is achieved using a Geographical Information system (GIS)based multicriteria analysis (MCA) approach, where stormwater flow paths, flood prone risk areas and potential pollutant loads are assessed. The study also identifies suitable stormwater management measures for areas classified as high risk. The results indicate that watershed delineation and stormwater flow patterns are strongly influenced by rainfall quantity and topography, which further also affect the dispersion across the land surface. Low-lying areas and depressions are particularly prone to flooding and several buildings within the study area are identified as at high risk. Pollution loads are highly connected to land use and landcover, where urban areas include higher concentrations compared to natural landscapes. Nature based solution (NBS) are identified as the most suitable mitigation measures, as the approach can reduce the flood risk by retention properties but also lowering pollutant loads through infiltration. Implementation of sustainable stormwater management, particularly focusing at already built environments, could enhance resilience to flooding, reduce environmental impact while simultaneously providing other important climate adaptation functions for Hammarö Municipality.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2026. , p. 96
Keywords [en]
Remote Sensing, Flood hazard, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), Weighted Overlay, Extreme Weather Events, Climate Change, Nature Based Solutions (NBS), Climate Adaptation, Pluvial Flooding, Urban flooding, Hydrology, Impervious Surface
National Category
Environmental Management Other Environmental Engineering
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-78466OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mdh-78466DiVA, id: diva2:2082947
External cooperation
Hammarö Kommun
Subject / course
Environmental Engineering
Presentation
2026-05-27, 14:40 (English)
Supervisors
Examiners
2026-07-022026-07-012026-07-02Bibliographically approved