Spatial-Temporal Dynamics of Flood Resilience

Introduction

Existing studies on flood-society relations overwhelmingly concentrate on risk, exposure, vulnerability, damage, loss, and adaptation needs, most of which adopt a negative perspective. The fact that various human societies have well survived and continuously developed in flood-prone areas (e.g., coasts, river deltas, flood plains, hilly valleys) is far less studied.

Research Gap

Closing this research gap requires a deeper historical perspective to investigate the resilience of human society to floods, i.e., flood resilience and its changes. The Tea-Horse Road (THR) area, a flood hotspot across the mountainous Southeast Tibetan Plateau, is an ideal natural laboratory to study the spatial-temporal dynamics of flood resilience due to its long and uniquely documented history with extensive hazard experiences.

Theoretical Framework

STORIES will set up a theoretical framework on the multi-spatial-temporal features of flood resilience at the THR region, which covers the spatial differences (household, community, city, and region) over the past 600 years regarding the governance, technology, society, and culture perspectives of flood resilience.

Methodology

A set of quantitative proxy data, historical archives, literature re-analysis, statistical data, observation data, and field survey data will be integrated into both the empirical study in the case areas and the agent-based modelling across the cases.

Objectives

Specifically, STORIES aims to:

1. Establish a theoretical understanding of the spatial-temporal scales of flood resilience;
2. Investigate the spatial patterns and temporal evolution of flood resilience at the THR cases;
3. Model the spatial-temporal dynamics of flood resilience using agent-based models;
4. Transfer and generalize the research findings of the THR cases to the Mekong River Delta and beyond.

Contribution

By doing so, STORIES will present pioneering work to shape the emerging research field of flood resilience, offering new and multi-dimensional knowledge on the dynamic nature of flood-society relations.