Urban flooding: Blue-green infrastructure as a strategy for resilience

Information on this PhD research area can be found further down this page under the details about the Widening Participation Scholarship given immediately below.

Applications for this PhD research are welcomed from anyone worldwide but there is an opportunity for UK candidates (or eligible for UK fees) to apply for a widening participation scholarship.

Widening Participation Scholarship: Any UK candidates (or eligible for UK fees) is invited to apply. Our scholarships seek to increase participation from groups currently under-represented within research. A priority will be given to students that meet the widening participation criteria and to graduates of the University of Salford. For more information about widening participation, follow this link: https://www.salford.ac.uk/postgraduate-research/fees. [Scroll down the page until you reach the heading “PhD widening participation scholarships”.] Please note: we accept applications all year but the deadline for applying for the widening participation scholarships in 2024 is 28th March 2024. All candidates who wish to apply for the MPhil or PhD widening participation scholarship will first need to apply for and be accepted onto a research degree programme. As long as you have submitted your completed application for September/October 2024 intake by 28 February 2024 and you qualify for UK fees, you will be sent a very short scholarship application. This form must be returned by 28 March 2024. Applications received after this date must either wait until the next round or opt for the self-funded PhD route.

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Project description: The impact of urban, pluvial flooding is increasing on account of our warming climate. This is heightened even further with the growth of cities, which is placing increased pressure on land use. In many cases, such development is leading to increased flooding events, particularly within the built environment. Here the research focuses on blue-green infrastructure, for stormwater handling in urban spaces, as a strategy for quantifiable resilient flood risk management. Interest in blue-green infrastructure is at an all-time high, with significant investment in the likes of radical living walls, to green care and even food growing.

The research will use a spatial analysis and qualitative tool to better understand the mechanisms and characteristics of pluvial flooding and how blue-green infrastructure impacts flood risk. This interdisciplinary approach could include discussions with key actors, such as planners, alongside a critical appraisal of specific types of blue-green infrastructure. Policy analysis and other tools could be used to explore good practice.

In terms of the spatial analysis, this could include a frequency analysis of intense rainfall which then can be linked with overland flow paths and areas impacted by historic floods to accurately predict future areas where blue-green infrastructure will be required and to the level of which future resilience can be attained. Large-scale spatial distribution modelling of blue-green infrastructure, with respect to urban flow paths and drainage system, will be examined in relation to implementation measures based on transition theory, case studies and Geographical Information Systems.

A framework for management of spatial data in the strategic planning of blue-green infrastructure will be the primary output, alongside potential other outputs, ranging from investment strategies for such interventions, to qualitative data on barriers and opportunities. The supervisors have links to international pioneers in this area, such as colleagues in Portland (USA) and elsewhere.