Vulnerability of critical infrastructure networks to coastal flooding

Supervisors: Eli Lazarus (UoS), Sien van der Plank (UoS), Simon Blainey (UoS), Sally Brown (EA), Alan Frampton (BCP Council)

Contact email: E.D.Lazarus@soton.ac.uk

Project rationale

Critical infrastructure networks including roads, railways, and urban drainage are fundamental to societal functioning, but in low-lying coastal settings these networks are especially vulnerable to disruption by floods. Knowing where and how often the road network of a coastal city, for example, may fail from hazard disruption is valuable information for authorities and planners. However, the systemic vulnerability of infrastructure networks to natural hazard, or how local disruptions may trigger functional failure of the wider network, is still not well understood. To explore how targeted climate adaptation of critical infrastructure may reduce systemic vulnerability, this studentship will measure and model disruption of transportation networks under increasing extremes in coastal flood hazard, using a novel method for analysing network connectivity.

This studentship will use network analysis and climate-change scenarios to quantify current and potential future infrastructure network vulnerability to coastal flooding; model effects of targeted adaptation interventions into network vulnerability; and gain solutions-oriented insight into vulnerability and adaptation to coastal flood hazard in real infrastructure networks through collaborative knowledge exchange with a diverse group of expert partners. Partners anticipate a variety of potential benefits from this research, including: planning for emergency management, flood-management guidance, and reporting for compliance under the Climate Change Act.

Methodology

The method for this studentship will advance from proof-of-concept work recently published by the PI's research group, which examined road network vulnerability to functional failure from extreme high-water events for 72 USA barrier islands (Aldabet et al., 2022). That proof-of-concept formalised network vulnerability in terms of ‘robustness’, a metric that reflects the extent to which a network remains functionally connected as its nodes (intersections) and links (segments) are removed.

Using open datasets of road networks, topographic elevation, and extreme high-water levels, Aldabet et al. (2022) developed an open-source workflow to calculate the robustness of each network and identify the ‘critical node’ at which each network could fail, and linked the elevation of each critical node to the likelihood of coastal flooding from local extreme high-water levels. Their analysis showed that a signature of systemic vulnerability to hazard-driven failure can be quantified from the spatial structure of any given physical infrastructure network. The major methodological components underpinning this studentship will be broadly similar: interested applicants can refer to Aldabet et al. (2022) for more detail.

Background reading

Aldabet, S., Goldstein, E.B., Lazarus, E.D. (2022) Thresholds in road network functioning on US Atlantic and Gulf barrier islands. Earth's Future, 10, e2021EF002581. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EF002581

FLOOD-CDT

This PhD is being advertised as part of the Centre for Doctoral Training for Resilient Flood Futures (FLOOD-CDT). Further details about FLOOD-CDT can be seen here https://flood-cdt.ac.uk. Please note, that your application will be assessed upon:

1. Motivation and Career Aspirations;
2. Potential & Intellectual Excellence;
3. Suitability for specific project and
4. Fit to FLOOD-CDT.

So please familiarise yourselves with FLOOD-CDT before applying. During the application process candidates will need to upload:

• a one-page statement of your research interests in flooding and FLOOD-CDT and your rationale for your choice of project;
• a curriculum vitae giving details of your academic record and stating your research interests;
• name two current academic referees together with an institutional email addresses; on submission of your online application your referees will be automatically emailed requesting they send a reference to us directly by email;
• academic transcripts and degree certificates (translated if not in English) – if you have completed both a BSc and an MSc, we require both; and
• a IELTS/TOEFL certificate, if applicable.

Please upload all documents in PDF format. You are encouraged to contact potential supervisors by email to discuss project-specific aspects of the proposed prior to submitting your application. If you have any general questions please contact floodcdt@soton.ac.uk.

Apply

To apply for this project please click here: https://student-selfservice.soton.ac.uk/BNNRPROD/bzsksrch.P_Search. Tick programme type – Research, tick Full-time or Part-time, select Academic year – ‘2025/26, Faculty Environmental and Life Sciences’, search text – ‘PhD Ocean & Earth Science (FLOOD CDT)’.

In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the project and supervisor(s) you are interested in applying for. If you have any problems please contact: fels-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk.