Fluvial and pluvial flooding are two distinct types of flooding events that transpire due to different natural processes. Fluvial flooding or river flooding refers to the inundation of land around a river or stream due to overflowing water within its banks. Generally, some of the many root causes of fluvial flooding include heavy rainfall and snowmelt, leading to water levels in rivers to rise and spill over into surrounding areas. Factors such as the land’s topography, the water volume in the river, and the amount of precipitation can exacerbate fluvial flooding.
On the other hand, pluvial flooding, also referred to as surface water flooding, is when an excessive amount of rainfall exceeds the capacity of local drainage systems to carry away water. Surface water flooding can affect both urban and rural areas, as it is not limited to rivers and streams. Generally, urban areas with impervious, hard surfaces, such as roads and pavements, experience pluvial flooding as water cannot infiltrate the ground and accordingly accumulates on the surface.
In summary, the main difference between fluvial and pluvial flooding centers on the water source causing the inundation — with fluvial flooding caused by overflowing rivers and streams, and pluvial flooding caused by excessive rainfall overwhelming drainage systems. Understanding the differences is crucial for effective flood risk management and mitigation efforts for infrastructure stakeholders across the built environment.
ClimaTwin® is a leading climate risk intelligence solution for infrastructure assets and the built environment.
We empower infrastructure stakeholders to mitigate climate risks and assess adaptation actions across the total asset lifecycle. By connecting complex climate models and infrastructure digital twins, our solution enables owner-operators, investors, governments, engineers, and other decision-makers to aggregate, visualize, and analyze disparate datasets, revealing site-specific insights at a hyper-local scale. Benefits include 5-10x near-term returns and lifetime cost-avoidance by mitigating risks to systems, services, and societies.
To learn more about climate risk intelligence for your infrastructure assets, please visit www.climatwin.com today.
“As seas rise and rain becomes more intense, flooding is becoming an even more serious challenge around the world, including in Asia, where Pakistan, India, China, Indonesia, and other countries have all experienced intense floods in recent years. Drawing on case studies from different regions of Asia, this year’s Ramanathan Climate Conversation will explore the impacts of climate change on flooding from rain, rivers, and seas, and will discuss approaches that can mitigate the damage — such as coastal and floodplain restoration, construction of spillways, and modifications to the built environment. Carolyn Beeler (The World) will moderate the conversation with Aditi Mukherji (CGIAR) and Nguyen Huu Thien (freelance ecologist).”
Participant Bios
Carolyn Beeler is an Environment Correspondent and Editor for The World, a daily international radio news show heard by more than 3 million listeners across the U.S. each week. She reports and edits stories focused on the people and places most impacted by climate change, and what they’re doing to address it. She has reported from all seven continents and won national and regional awards for her breaking news and in-depth feature reporting.
Aditi Mukherji is the Director of the Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Impact Area Platform at the CGIAR. Aditi has been an author on the latest round of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments (AR6), including as a core writing team member of the IPCC Synthesis Report published in March 2023. Aditi was previously a Principal Researcher at the International Water Management Institute (2019-2023) and Theme Leader (Water and Air) at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development in Nepal (2013-2018).
Nguyen Huu Thien is a freelance consultant with over 30 years of experience working on issues of climate change, natural resources management, wetland biodiversity conservation, and sustainable livelihoods in Southeast Asia. Thien currently specializes in the Mekong Delta area of Vietnam, where he works with local community leaders to address local climate challenges as well as bridges the gap between policymakers and researchers to promote science-based policymaking at regional and national levels.
ClimaTwin® is a leading climate risk intelligence solution for infrastructure assets and the built environment.
We empower infrastructure stakeholders to mitigate climate risks and assess adaptation actions across the total asset lifecycle. By connecting complex climate models and infrastructure digital twins, our solution enables engineers, owner-operators, and governments to aggregate, visualize, and analyze disparate datasets, revealing site-specific insights at a hyper-local scale. Benefits include 5-10x near-term returns and lifetime cost-avoidance by mitigating risks to systems, services, and societies.
To learn more about climate risk intelligence for your infrastructure assets, please visit www.climatwin.com today.
