FloodAdapt: Rapid what-if scenario modeling to advance stakeholder engagement in urban flood adaptation

Effective engagement of diverse stakeholders is essential for advancing urban climate adaptation. However, the complexity of flood risk modeling often limits the ability of community members, decision-makers, and practitioners to meaningfully participate in adaptation planning. FloodAdapt is an open, interactive, physics-based decision-support tool designed to bridge this gap by making advanced flood and impact modeling accessible to non-experts.

FloodAdapt enables users to define and evaluate what-if scenarios, simulating how different compound flood drivers – such as storm surge, extreme rainfall, and river discharge – alongside future conditions – such as sea level rise and urban population growth – interact with urban adaptation strategies. By rapidly generating high-quality flood and impact maps, as well as equity-focused metrics, the tool supports participatory planning and informed decision-making. The user-friendly interface allows communities to visualize and compare the effects of adaptation options such as seawalls, green infrastructure, or home elevations, supporting deeper public understanding and engagement.

Through case studies, we demonstrate how FloodAdapt facilitates collaborative planning, allowing stakeholders to explore trade-offs and develop locally relevant, climate-resilient strategies. The tool’s ability to integrate social vulnerability data further strengthens engagement by highlighting disparities in flood risk and adaptation benefits across neighborhoods.

This presentation will showcase FloodAdapt’s capabilities, present use cases, and share stakeholder feedback, illustrating how it fosters inclusive and effective adaptation planning.