Dr. Leon Baruah presented on enhancing nature and mitigating flooding by applying data science. Hydrologic modeling uses data science techniques to identify where water is entering rivers and match river networks to digital elevation models. A case study in Fillongley showed how green infrastructure interventions reduced peak flood levels by 10-15 cm compared to grey infrastructure. Quantification of the benefits and addressing uncertainty are important for justifying investing in natural flood management approaches over traditional engineering solutions.

1. Enhancing Nature & Mitigating Flooding by
Applying Data Science
Dr Leon Baruah
RSE/NERC Enterprise Fellow
Director | Viridian Logic Ltd

2. Moorland, Somerset, United Kingdom

3. Grey infrastructure

4. Grey infrastructure Green infrastructure

5. HYDROLOGIC MODELLING

6. HYDROLOGIC MODELLING

7. credit: Natural Capital Project

8. What else?
ID’s river banks to identify where flows are
entering a river.
Putting in interventions on one side of a
river won’t slow water entering on the other
side

9. What else?
Takes a vector river network
and matches it to a raster
digital elevation model.

10. © Microsoft Corporation 2018 © DigitalGlobe 20
Case Study

11. Fillongley
© Microsoft Corporation 2018 © DigitalGlobe 20

12. Fillongley

13. Fillongley

14. Fillongley

15. Fillongley

16. Quantification
credit: NASA (Earth As A

17. 𝑦 cm peak
flood reduction
calibration point

18. Uncertainty

19. The Dream
credit: NASA (Earth As A

21. source: Table III.iv. RIOS Manual

22. Precipitation

23. Precipitation
credit: Reep Green Solutions

24. Why?
credit: DAVID ILIF

25. Dr Leon Baruah
RSE/NERC Enterprise Fellow
Director | Viridian Logic Ltd
viridianlogic.com
leon@viridianlogic.com @crashtronomy