Urban habitats lessen coastal flooding impacts | UNC-Chapel Hill

Study Shows Urban and Natural Habitats Play Vital Role in Water Quality Regulation during Flooding Events

As climate change continues, some storm models are predicting an increase in hurricane intensity and an increase in precipitation, causing flooding and devastating coastal communities, water quality, and daily life.

Assessing Water Quality Regulation in the Upper Neuse River Estuary

A new study conducted by researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill has examined water quality regulation by flooded landscapes in the upper Neuse River Estuary along the North Carolina coast. The study focused on the effectiveness of urban estuarine habitats in permanently removing nitrogen through denitrification, a natural process that improves water quality.

“Urban landscapes like lawns and stormwater ponds are becoming more common as coastlines develop, so understanding the role they play in maintaining water quality is increasingly important,” said Anne Smiley, lead researcher and doctoral student in the College of Arts and Sciences’ earth, marine and environmental sciences department. Smiley is also a member of the Piehler Lab.

The study highlights the importance of coastal landscapes, which consist of a combination of natural habitats such as marshes and forests, as well as urban habitats. The capacity for denitrification and the distribution of these landscapes within a floodplain can significantly influence water quality regulation at the watershed scale. With ongoing coastal development, it is crucial to comprehend the beneficial functions of urban landscapes, like lawns and stormwater ponds, and the functioning of natural habitats, like marshes, within a built environment.

Examining Urban and Natural Landscape Elements

Prior studies have documented effective denitrification in wetlands and oyster reefs. However, this study specifically focused on urban and natural landscape elements, including stormwater ponds, undeveloped open space, forested wetlands, and subtidal sediment. The study also took into account different storm characteristics, such as high-speed sustained winds or high amounts of rainfall, which can impact water chemistry differently. The research team analyzed data from 37 hurricanes that affected the study region between 1996 and 2019.

Key Findings and Implications

The results of the study, published in the journal “Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences,” demonstrate that both urban landscapes and natural habitats play a crucial role in regulating water quality during flooding events. However, nitrogen is processed differently depending on storm characteristics.

1. Storm characteristics, habitat type, and habitat coverage within a storm’s floodplain influence the overall contribution to nitrogen removal.
2. Flooded landscapes are less effective at removing nitrogen during high-wind, high-precipitation events.
3. Natural habitats like marshes and swamp forests are generally more effective at removing nitrogen than urban habitats like lawns and stormwater ponds.

While the importance of urban habitats should not be overlooked, the stormwater pond sampled in this study was part of a restored wetland and likely removes a considerable amount of nitrogen during low-precipitation and low-wind storm events. Swamp forests, which are abundant floodplain habitats, made the largest contribution to removing nitrogen from the water during every type of storm, making them a valuable habitat for maintaining water quality.

“These differences in processing suggest that abundance and spatial distributions of these habitats within a floodplain can influence overall nitrogen removal capacity at the watershed scale,” said Smiley. “Understanding nitrogen removal capabilities and limitations of flooded natural coastal habitats, as well as those urban landscapes that will become more prevalent, will enable us to make informed management decisions to benefit the integrity of our coastal waters.”

Contributing to Sustainable Development Goals

This study aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 14: Life Below Water

By understanding the role of urban and natural habitats in water quality regulation during flooding events, policymakers and land managers can make informed decisions to protect and enhance the integrity of coastal waters, contributing to the achievement of these SDGs.

“Anne’s work has advanced our understanding of the value of natural systems like marshes in urbanized areas,” said Mike Piehler, a co-author, professor, director of the UNC Institute for the Environment, and chief sustainability officer at Carolina. “This information is already informing land use decisions in North Carolina’s coastal communities and has broad application beyond our state. I am so excited for Anne to have this great paper from her dissertation published in an excellent journal.”

Read the full paper in “Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences.”

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 13: Climate Action

The article discusses the impact of climate change on storm characteristics, water quality, and the role of urban and natural habitats in maintaining water quality during flooding events. These issues are directly connected to SDG 6, which aims to improve water quality, and SDG 13, which focuses on climate action. Additionally, the article highlights the importance of understanding the functioning of natural habitats in a built environment, aligning with SDG 11.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 6.3: Improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping, and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials
• SDG 11.3: Enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated, and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries
• SDG 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries

The article addresses the targets of SDG 6.3 by discussing the improvement of water quality through the removal of nitrogen during flooding events. It also relates to SDG 11.3 by emphasizing the importance of understanding the role of urban landscapes in maintaining water quality and the functioning of natural habitats in a built environment. Furthermore, the article touches upon SDG 13.1 by highlighting the need to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Nitrogen removal capacity of urban and natural habitats during flooding events
• Effectiveness of different storm characteristics on water chemistry
• Impact of climate change on storm characteristics and water quality regulation
• Influence of storm characteristics on nitrogen removal capacity

The article mentions several indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. These indicators include the nitrogen removal capacity of urban and natural habitats during flooding events, the effectiveness of different storm characteristics on water chemistry, the impact of climate change on storm characteristics and water quality regulation, and the influence of storm characteristics on nitrogen removal capacity. These indicators provide measurable factors to assess the improvement of water quality, the functioning of urban and natural habitats, and the resilience to climate-related hazards.

4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: unc.edu

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