Wang et al. (2026) Numerical simulation-based study on the response of urban drainage networks to flooding and road risk in typical plain city

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Environmental Management
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-03-13
• Authors: Yanhong Wang, Jingming Hou, D. Li, Guodong Li, Xinxin Pan, Jiahao Lv, Chenchen Fan, Jiantao Sun, Wei Yi, Yongping Yang
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.129199

Research Groups

• State Key Laboratory of Water Engineering Ecology and Environment in Arid Area, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an, China
• Drainage Management Center of the Hengshui Municipal Urban Management and Law Enforcement Bureau, Hengshui, China
• Zhaotong Investigation, Design & Research Institute of Water Conservancy & Hydropower, Zhaotong, China
• Shaanxi Provincial Water and Drought Disaster Prevention Center, Xi'an, China

Short Summary

This study developed an integrated hydrodynamic model to simulate urban pluvial flooding under various rainfall scenarios in Taocheng District, China, demonstrating that drainage systems significantly reduce surface and road inundation and mitigate flood risk.

Objective

• To explore the spatiotemporal mitigation effects of urban drainage systems on pluvial flood risks, particularly within critical road networks, in a typical plain city.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Taocheng District, Hengshui, China.
• Temporal Scale: 18 rainfall scenarios with return periods ranging from 1 year to 100 years; analysis of peak inundation time shifts (24–36 minutes).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: GAST model (two-dimensional) coupled with SWMM model (one-dimensional).
• Data sources: Numerical simulations based on 18 rainfall scenarios (return periods 1a–100a) for Taocheng District, Hengshui.

Main Results

• The drainage system reduced peak surface inundation volume by up to 50.92% and peak road inundation volume by up to 69.81%.
• The drainage system advanced the road peak-inundation time by 24–36 minutes, decoupling it from peak rainfall intensity.
• During a 100-year event, Level 4 (high-risk) road grids decreased by over 65%, with reductions also observed across Levels 1–3, particularly at intersections, low-lying areas, and inlet-dense zones.

Contributions

• Developed and applied an integrated GAST–SWMM hydrodynamic framework for comprehensive urban pluvial flood simulation and risk assessment.
• Quantified the critical spatiotemporal mitigation effects of urban drainage systems on surface and road inundation and flood risk redistribution.
• Highlighted the necessity of incorporating drainage infrastructure into urban flood models and risk assessments for developing climate-adaptive drainage strategies.

Funding

• Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Wang2026Numerical,
  author = {Wang, Yanhong and Hou, Jingming and Li, D. and Li, Guodong and Pan, Xinxin and Lv, Jiahao and Fan, Chenchen and Sun, Jiantao and Yi, Wei and Yang, Yongping},
  title = {Numerical simulation-based study on the response of urban drainage networks to flooding and road risk in typical plain city},
  journal = {Journal of Environmental Management},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.129199},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.129199}
}