Real-time low-cost monitoring for hydro-geomorphological risk reduction in Chile

Communities in areas prone to natural hazards often have little information about the human and economic losses that may occur in the event of a disaster, or the information needed to minimize such losses. This project is therefore concerned with advancing scientific understanding of the processes occurring in extremely dynamic hydro-geomorphological (river flood) systems, some of which are continuing to adjust following volcanic eruptions over a range of timescales. Advancing process understanding will enable alerts and warnings to be provided to competent authorities, facilitating effective decision making and communication to local communities.

Lahar flows and large-scale injections of sediment into river systems during recent volcanic eruptions in Chile (e.g. Chaiten in 2008 and Calbuco in 2015) have resulted in major economic and social costs through damage to homes, transport infrastructure, power plants, salmon farms and tourist businesses. The associated evacuation of entire towns and rural areas highlights an increasing vulnerability and emphasizes the need for improved risk prediction and mitigation.

The project will develop improved systems for predicting (a) the timing and magnitude of hydrological hazards and (b) the longer term impacts of sediment release causing flooding in downstream river channels, and will provide (c) training and a 'tool kit' for local authorities to ensure that the monitoring developments in Chile have longevity beyond the project duration.

Who might benefit from this research?

Chile: The most immediate beneficiaries of this research will be the Chilean population living in the four locations we will be monitoring, as well as any major event in any other region where the fast deploy sensor platform can be of help. Our project will directly benefit the Chilean agencies responsible for: (1) monitoring natural hazards, Servicio Nacional de Geologia y Mineria (SNGM - project partner); (2) river monitoring and flood protection, the Direccion General de Aguas (DGA - project partner) and Direccion de Obras Hidraulicas (DOH - project partner), respectively, who are part of the Ministry of Public Works (MOP); civil defence, Oficina Nacional de Emergencia del Ministerio del Interior y Seguridad Publica (ONEMI).

We anticipate that our project will help provide key quantitative and qualitative hydraulic data for floods directly to our project partner agencies (DOH, DGA, SNGM & ONEMI) who manage flood risk.

Wider scientific/expert community:
Our research will be of interest to the international and flood/debris flow hazard and risk management research community. Although our project introduces novel hydraulic monitoring stations to Chile the same technology and methodology can may applied to many other parts of the world subject to flooding, especially locations where traditional gauging techniques have failed or are too sparse or expensive.

Wider non-academic community:
The catastrophic March 2015 floods in the Atacama and the Calbuco and Chaiten eruption impacts made international headlines in both TV and Newspapers. We expect great interest from primary, secondary and university education as well as from various community groups and individuals, and we aim to disseminate our results to help to raise community awareness of the hazards and risks from such events as well as associated planning and mitigation strategies.

How might they benefit from this research?
We anticipate that our project will help provide key quantitative and qualitative hydraulic data which may be used by Chilean Government Agencies to provide better flood forecasts, more accurate hazard maps thereby reducing risk to the population as a whole. Our research will directly inform agencies responsible for risk communication and risk education in Chile and in other countries facing similar problems with flash flooding.