Assessing the potential for real-time urban flood forecasting based on a worldwide survey on data availability

Abstract

This paper explores the potential for real-time urban flood forecasting based on literature and the results from an online worldwide survey with 176 participants. The survey investigated the use of data in urban flood management as well as the perceived challenges in data acquisition and its principal constraints in urban flood modelling. It was originally assumed that the lack of real-time urban flood forecasting systems is related to the lack of relevant data. Contrary to this assumption, the study found that a significant number of the participants have used some kind of data and that a possible explanation for so few cases is that urban flood managers or modellers (practitioners) may not be aware they have the means to make a pluvial flood forecast. This paper highlights that urban flood practitioners can make a flood forecast with the resources currently available.