Assessing the Efficiency of Fully Two-Dimensional Hydraulic HEC-RAS Models in Rivers of Cyprus

Abstract

Floods are among the most widespread and recurrent natural disasters globally. In the European region, climate change leads to an increase in the incidence and intensity of flooding. For effective management of the phenomenon, the European Union instituted Directive 2007/60/EC for the assessment and management of flood risks in order to reduce the negative consequences of flooding on human health, economic activities, the environment, and cultural heritage. Cyprus, as a member of the European Union, had to comply with the provisions of the directive. Within the second implementation of the directive, combined 1D/2D hydraulic models were conducted. These data served as a benchmark for the present research, in which the differences in the inundated area, depths, and simulation time are investigated using a full 2D hydraulic simulation. The present research examines two Areas of Potentially Significant Flood Risk, one in an urban and one in a rural area. Overall, the proposed 2D methodology was found to represent inundated areas to a good extent with almost zero deviation in comparison to the 1D/2D method. This study demonstrated the adequacy of the 2D hydraulic simulation method, which offers greater flexibility in modeling a variety of hydraulic scenarios, enabling planning and flood risk management that is vital for protecting communities, infrastructure and the environment from the devastating impacts of floods.