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Decision Support Systems for Participatory Flood Risk and Disaster Management

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Decision Support Systems for Participatory Flood Risk and Disaster Management NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS SCHOOL OF RURAL AND SURVEYING ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND REGIONAL PLANNING Decision Support Systems for Participatory Flood Risk and Disaster Management Panayiotis Sophronides A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the National Technical University of Athens. Athens Fall 2016 Decision Support Systems for Participatory Flood Risk and Disaster Management by Panayiotis Sophronides who holds a Diploma in Rural and Surveying Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens, 2010 and a Master of Science and a Diploma of Imperial College in Hydrology and Water Resources Management, Imperial College London, 2011. A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Rural and Surveying Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens Advisory Committee in charge: Professor Maria Giaoutzi (Supervisor), National Technical University of Athens Professor Henk Scholten, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Professor Demetris Koutsoyiannis, National Technical University of Athens Fall 2016 Decision Support Systems for Participatory Flood Risk and Disaster Management Copyright 2016 by Panayiotis Sophronides All rights reserved Keywords: Multi-layered water safety, geodesign, flood risk communication and management, virtual 3D city models, open data standards, 3D information system, flood emergency response, shared situational awareness, common operational picture, network-enabled capabilities, network-centric information systems, information quality, system quality. «Πάντα πάντα περνάς τη φωτιά για να φτάσεις τη λάμψη. Πάντα πάντα τη λάμψη περνάς για να φτάσεις ψηλά τα βουνά τα χιονόδοξα». Οδυσσέας Ελύτης, Το Άξιον Εστί, Τα Πάθη, Ε’ (1959). «Always you pass through fire to reach the glow. Always you pass through the glow to reach the high snow-resplendent mountains». Odysseas Elytis, The Axion Esti - It is worthy, The Passion, Psalm V (1959). Translated by Jeffrey Carson and Nikos Sarris (1997). Preface and acknowledgements. This PhD thesis entitled “Decision Support Systems for Participatory Flood Risk and Disaster Management” purports to critically review the existing knowledge and to identify and propose innovative solutions towards improving situational awareness for better supporting decisions for flood risk and disaster management. The thesis is consisted of two theoretical and two empirical studies. The first theoretical study (chapter 2) includes a literature review on multi- layered water safety and a theoretical systematization of this integrated flood risk management approach in a thorough, multidisciplinary and collaborative methodology for complex problems solving inspired by geodesign towards improving situational awareness, cooperation and decision making. The second theoretical study (chapter 4) through an extensive literature survey across disciplines explores the contribution of a common operational picture in improving situational awareness for emergency response operations. The first empirical study (chapter 3) investigates the information potential of virtual 3D city models and it exploits their capabilities by developing a virtual 3D city model for Heerhugowaard case study area in the Netherlands. Furthermore, it conceptualizes a 3D information system based on virtual 3D city models and extended by open international data standards towards defining a system framework capable to support situational awareness for effective flood risk management and emergency preparedness. Finally, the second empirical study (chapter 5) organizes a field exercise with realistic flood scenarios and the participation of professionals for measuring the added value service of network centric support tools in achieving shared situational awareness based on a common operational picture for flood emergency response. This PhD thesis has been a long research journey full of knowledge, full of experiences, “full of adventure, full of discovery” to recall Ithaka (1911) of the eminent Greek poet Constantine P. Cavafy. Furthermore, it has been a remarkable opportunity to unwrap my potential and spearhead innovation in a creative endeavor. An endeavor inspired by my personal vision to serve and promote the science of engineering and research towards contributing to the protection of human life. This thesis through its findings aspires to reinforce society in its battle against floods which are the most common and dominant natural hazards causing a lot of human fatalities, enormous social disruption, environmental and economic impacts worldwide. At this point, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all those who believed, supported and encouraged me during the course of this PhD thesis. First and foremost, I would like to thank my PhD thesis advisor and mentor Prof. Dr. Maria Giaoutzi whose i prominent academic quality, talent and enthusiasm, scientific value and human status strengthened substantially my personality in academic and personal level. I am indebted to Prof. Giaoutzi who has been for me an inexhaustible source of knowledge and wisdom during this long research journey. I thank her for teaching me how to look at the essence of the things, I thank her for believing in my potential, I thank her for giving me the opportunity to become a doctor of engineering under her supervision but above all I thank her for being a spiritual motivator and good friend. The exceptionally important, long and enjoyable stay at the SPatial INformation laboratory (SPINlab) of the Department of Spatial Economics of Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam would not have taken place without the member of the advisory committee of this PhD thesis, supervisor at VU and Geodan bv, Prof. Dr. Henk Scholten. I am lucky to have had the opportunity to work with an international leading and acknowledged academic and entrepreneurial personality in the field of Geographic Information Science (GIS). I would like to thank him for being a mentor, inspirator and advisor whose versatility, insightful suggestions, enthusiasm, dedication, view on GIS and geospatial technologies along with many more academic and personal attributes make him an outstanding supervisor for me. I am especially grateful to Prof. Scholten for his instrumental role in my success to the highest academic accomplishment. But I thank him even more for being a great supporter and wonderful friend throughout the course of this PhD thesis. Special thanks and respect goes to Prof. Dr. Demetris Koutsoyiannis, Dean of the School of Civil Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (N.T.U.A.) and member of the advisory committee of this PhD thesis. I feel deeply honored to have had the opportunity to be advised and guided by this distinguished, esteemed and world-leading academic in the field of hydrology and water resources management. I will always admire and be inspired by his unique character and spirit as well as by his remarkable profoundness and simplicity. I also want to thank all my colleagues at N.T.U.A. for their invaluable support and encouragement. Many thanks go to my collaborators at the Unit of Spatial Planning and Regional Development of the Department of Geography and Regional Planning of N.T.U.A., Elias Grammatikogiannis, Chrysaida-Aliki Papadopoulou, Anastasia Biska and Georgia Koutsiouri for being pleasant, cordial and great colleagues. I sincerely thank all my colleagues at the Department of Spatial Economics of VU Amsterdam, above all, the members of SPINlab for the very special, warm and stimulating environment they create. I sincerely thank all my collaborators at the disaster management ii research group of SPINlab. I feel indebted to Dr. Ir. Ing. John Steenbruggen for being an invaluable and inspirational collaborator as well as for his decisive support in the organization of the field exercise of this thesis. I greatly appreciate his deep scientific knowledge on traffic incident management in the Netherlands. I thank Luis Bausá López for our exciting brainstorming sessions and also for being an amazing colleague. Many thanks are due to Christiana Aristeidou for being a wonderful and helpful colleague and friend. Special thanks to all the other members of SPINlab, Maurice de Kleijn, Niels van Manen, Eduardo Dias, Azarakhsh Rafiee, Vasco Diogo, Simeon Nedkov, Bart Kusse, Erik van der Zee, Mark Opmeer, Xander Wilcke, Sanne Hetttinga, Bo Andree, Anna Kolomijeva and Ting Zhou, for being great colleagues and friends. I wish also to thank members and ex-members of the Department of Spatial Economics, Zhiling Wang, Hugo Silva, Jan Möhlmann, Ifa Rosidin, Harry van der Weijde, Vincent van den Berg, Maria Dementieva, Ioannis Tikoudis, Alexandros Dimitropoulos, Emmanouil Tranos, Xinying Fu, Gilberto Mahumane, Hengky Kurniawan, Or Levkovich, Jorge Diaz, Jamie Chen, Jingjing Liu, Ana Barufi, Elena Calegari for the unique and friendly atmosphere they maintained at our office in the 4th and 9th floor of VU Amsterdam over the years. Thanks to the secretaries of the Department, Elfie Bonke and Jenny Wiersema, who were always welcoming and ready to help. I thank Geodan bv for being an excellent hosting environment for research and innovation. Many thanks are due to Tom van Tilburg, Steven Ottens, Maurice Willekens, Niek Speetjens, Brian de Vogel and Graziella Barrow who have been valuable collaborators and they were greatly supportive. I want to thank Hogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier (HHNK) in the Netherlands
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