Potentials of using existing roofs for mitigation of storm water flooding risks in urban areas

Research Project, 2016 – 2019

Extreme rain events have created major flooding and damages in urban areas in Sweden and elsewhere in Scandinavia in the recent years. Future climate scenarios point to even more intense rain events in this region. This calls for more efficient storm water management system. Today, the risk for urban flooding is handled by a local city authority (water administration), with bases in a single discipline (hydrology). In this proposal, solutions for integration of existing buildings in urban storm water management systems are found by taking a transdisciplinary and innovation-oriented approach. The main idea of the project is to increase the overall storm water retention area in a city by increasing the water retention capacity of existing roofs, which are then called blue roofs. The project group involves scientists from Sweden and Norway with bases in building physics, hydrology, climatology and fluid dynamics, supplemented by key competences in construction, water and environmental administration, and property management. The transdisciplinary team will challenge simplified views and drive innovation, while the international team will bring necessary cultural perspectives. The project has a high societal value as it takes proactive and preventive approach in decreasing the vulnerability of the built environment, which is recognized by Horizon 2020, Klima 2050 and other major research initiatives.