Using the GLOFRIS model developed by Prof. Philip Ward and colleagues, they have developed the Aqueduct Floods webtool - an interactive tool that allows any user to assess both global river and coastal flood risk for any location on Earth. It allows stakeholders to examine how much they could reduce their risk by taking measures such as increasing river and coastal flood protection by dikes. The tool was developed in collaboration with the World Resources Institute, Deltares, the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) and Utrecht University. It is used around the world by stakeholders including the Red Cross, the World Bank, OECD, and many others.
Our research using the global model GLOFRIS informs international policy on climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction, thereby contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals. For example, it forms the backbone of the Geography of Future Water Challenges project, whose first results were handed over to Dutch Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen in 2018. In the meantime, the model has been constantly updated by teachers of the VU Amsterdam Masters Hydrology, including Sanne Muis, Timothy Tiggeloven, and Eric Mortensen: this has included improvements in the modelling of tropical cyclones and including a wide range of adaptation options such as nature-based solutions, urban zoning, and wet-proofing of buildings. In our courses, students learn about global water challenges and solutions using this risk-based approach, in which research is fused with the teaching activities.
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