Hydrodynamic evaluation of a flood embankment in the Amazon estuary region, Brazil

Abstract

Climate change and sea-level rise are likely to have a significant impact on the low-lying coastal areas of Brazil around the Amazon estuary. However, the huge river flows – equivalent to a fifth of the world's total – combined with strong tidal effects and complex coastal morphology make the design and analysis of future flood protection works particularly challenging. This paper reports on the development, calibration and application of a successful hydrodynamic model for a new flood embankment in the coastal city of Belém. The model uses a geographic information system and finite-element method to solve shallow water equations, and appears suitable for wider application in the Amazon estuary.