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Description

The study of floods in watercourses is one of the key pillars for understanding flood risk in Mediterranean environments. These are small basins, with ephemeral circulation, whose configuration is determined by a few high-energy events, where certain hydrogeomorphological thresholds are exceeded, which cause the greatest changes in the fluvial system and the main dangers for man.

Establishing the risk pattern of these basins implies knowing from which rainfall thresholds (quantity, intensity and spatial distribution) surface runoff occurs, and which flow thresholds generate the main problems in the floodplain. Our group is dedicated to estimating these hydrogeomorphological thresholds, based on the detailed study of extreme events. The analysis contemplated three scales of work: a) a general scale, which encompasses the territory assigned to the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation (43. 000 km2), where precipitation thresholds are addressed in relation to the synoptic situation, relief and sea temperature; b) a basin scale (pilot basins of Carraixet, Poyo, La Rambla de la Castellana, Rambla de Gallinera and Riu Vernissa), where runoff production thresholds are studied, in relation to the hydrogeomorphological configuration and land uses; c) a more detailed scale (pilot basins of Carraixet, Poyo, La Rambla de la Castellana, Rambla de Gallinera and Riu Vernissa), where runoff production thresholds are studied in relation to the hydrogeomorphological configuration and land uses; and c) a more detailed, flood plain scale, where risk levels are analysed in relation to overflow, natural hazard and vulnerability thresholds.

The study of specific episodes is based on data from the SAIH-Júcar (Automatic Hydrological Information System), since 1989. Based on this data, a system for storing and filtering the information has been developed that allows working on different time scales, from five minutes to the annual scale. With these records, rainfall episodes are defined and characterised with indicators of accumulated rainfall, intensity, duration, torrential rainfall, irregularity and persistence. The behaviour of extreme rainfall is analysed for different time scales of observation (5', 15', 30', 1 h, 2h, 3h, 4h, 6h, 12 h and 24h) and its spatial distribution in the territory of the CHJ. The maxima are studied in relation to the geographical factors of altitude, orientation and distance from the sea. Risk patterns are also studied in terms of hazard and vulnerability factors of the population, taking into account their spatial distribution and according to the characteristics of spatial occupation, in terms of temporal patterns (days, nights, working hours and public holidays).

All the information is crossed with the data provided by the Civil Protection Services and the Insurance Compensation Consortium in order to obtain relationships between the rainfall indicators and the categories of damage caused by the episodes. This joint study allows us to evaluate the degree of adequacy of the rainfall thresholds in force in the National Plan for the Prediction and Monitoring of Adverse Phenomena, METEOALERTA.

In addition, thanks to a research agreement with the Valencian Agency for Security and Emergency Response, intense episodes are analysed in relation to the calls to 1.1.2 CV (with special attention to on-site rainfall). On the other hand, the Integrated Flood Danger Map of the Valencian Community (MIPICOVA) has been drawn up based on the integration of the official cartography of the Territorial Flood Risk Plan of the Valencian Community (PATRICOVA) and the National Flood Zone Mapping System (SNCZI).

Flood risk in wadis is currently being assessed in the context of climate change (considering new trends in precipitation inputs to Mediterranean systems and response hydrographs).

 

Goals CT
  • Definition of criteria for the detection and selection of rainfall events, based on SAIH data.
  • Creation of a database of episodes
  • Identification, characterisation and comparison of rainfall behaviour patterns at different time scales.
  • Spatial distribution of the episodes in relation to genetic factors (meteorology, proximity to the sea and topography).
  • Hydrogeomorphological study of pilot basins. Detection and mapping of risk zones.
  • Detection of thresholds and rainfall indicators to support risk and resource management.
  • Evaluation, analysis and diagnosis of the episodes of heavy rainfall and flooding that have occurred since the implementation of the single telephone number 1-1-2 Comunitat Valenciana. Mapping of the relationship between rainfall intensities and the number of incidents reported via the 1-1-2 telephone number.
  • Study of the problems caused by rainfall in situ.
  • Generation of unified risk cartography based on official cartographies. Preparation of the Integrated Map of Flood Danger in the Valencian Community (MIPICOVA) based on PATRICOVA and SNCZI.
  • Study of flood episodes in wadis in the current context of climate change.
Research lines
  • Flood risk

    Analysis of flood risk at different scales, with particular attention to those produced by Mediterranean fluvial systems. Hazard, vulnerability and risk mapping.

  • Study of heavy rainfall events. Trends of change: from resource to risk.

    Study of torrential rainfall episodes, at different time scales. The episodes are studied in relation to the genetic factors that have produced them, as well as in relation to the intensification factors and their consequences, in hydrological terms. The trends of change that seem to point towards a decrease in the resource and an increase in risk are studied.

  • Mediterranean Hydrology in the Context of Climate Change

    The particularities of Mediterranean hydrology are studied, with special attention to the functioning of watercourses and gullies, in the current context of climate change.

Management
  • CAMARASA BELMONTE, ANA
  • PDI-Catedratic/a d'Universitat
View details
 Contacteana.camarasa@uv.es
Scientific production by UV researcher
  • CAMARASA BELMONTE, ANA
    PDI-Catedratic/a d'Universitat
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CNAE

Research and experimental development on social sciences and humanities

Associated structure
Contact group details
Mediterranean Hydrology (RIUMED)

Blasco Ibáñez Campus

Av. Blasco Ibáñez, 28

46010 València (Valencia)

+34 963 983 899

Geolocation

ana.camarasa@uv.es

Contact people
  • CAMARASA BELMONTE, ANA
  • PDI-Catedratic/a d'Universitat
View details
 Contacteana.camarasa@uv.es