On 5 August 2008, a localized heavy rainfall event caused a rapid increase in drainpipe discharge, which killed five people working in a drainpipe near Zoshigaya, Tokyo. This study compared the effects of artificial land cover and anthropogenic heat on this localized heavy rainfall event based on three ensemble experiments using a cloud‐resolving model that includes realistic urban features. The first experiment CTRL (control) considered realistic land cover and urban features, including artificial land cover, anthropogenic heat, and urban geometry. In the second experiment NOAH (no anthropogenic heat), anthropogenic heat was ignored. In the third experiment NOLC (no land cover), urban heating from artificial land cover was reduced by keeping the urban geometry but with roofs, walls, and roads of artificial land cover replaced by shallow water. The results indicated that both anthropogenic heat and artificial land cover increased the amount of precipitation and that the effect of artificial land cover was larger than that of anthropogenic heat. However, in the middle stage of the precipitation event, the difference between the two effects became small. Weak surface heating in NOAH and NOLC reduced the near‐surface air temperature and weakened the convergence of horizontal wind and updraft over the urban areas, resulting in a reduced rainfall amount compared with that in CTRL.

Assessing water resources at a large river basin scale is important for having an idea of the water situation and efficient water resources management. What is the most appropriate approach to assess the water resources at a large river basin scale? This paper aims to develop a systematic review on water resources assessment at a large river basin scale, intending to present a new assessment method for the major river basins in Madagascar. This review investigates 40 articles from Google Scholar, Web of Science, and PubMed databases, from 2000 to 2022. This review has demonstrated the necessity of water resources assessment at a large river basin scale in Madagascar. An improvement in the use of multiple GCMs and SWAT models for water resources assessment within the basin was found necessary for appropriate water allocating regimes among upper and lower reaches. Water allocation and water scarcity at the basin level could be addressed by using the inter- and intra-basin approaches. The review concludes that a combination of the SWAT, multiple GCMs, and inter- and intra-basin approaches could be efficiently applied for assessing the water resources at a large basin scale. This review may be of benefit to scientists and water specialists.

Sahelian countries including Burkina Faso face multiple challenges related to climatic conditions. Setting up effective disaster management plans is essential for protecting livelihoods and promoting sustainable development. Soil and water conservation measures (SWCMs) are emerging as key components of such plans, particularly in Burkina Faso. However, there is an insufficiency of studies exploring their potential as green infrastructures in the Sahelian context and this research aims to contribute to filling this gap. We used national data, remote sensing, and GIS tools to assess SWCM adoption and the potential for climate resilience. Stone ribbons emerged as the most widely adopted SWCM, covering 2322.4 km² especially in the northern regions, while filtering dikes were the least widely adopted, at 126.4 km². Twenty years of NDVI analysis showed a notable vegetation increase in Yatenga (0.075), Oudalan (0.073), and provinces with a high prevalence of SWCM practices. There was also an apparent increase in SWCM percentages from 60% of land degradation. Stone ribbons could have led to a runoff reduction of 13.4% in Bam province, highlighting their effectiveness in climate resilience and flood risk mitigation. Overall, encouraging the adoption of SWCMs offers a sustainable approach to mitigating climate-related hazards and promoting resilience in Sahelian countries such as Burkina Faso.

Coastal wetlands are complex ecosystems that support biodiversity. They provide many benefits, including flood mitigation and sustenance for communities. The unique characteristics of wetlands make them vulnerable to natural and human-induced disturbances. Numerous factors, including industrialisation, urbanisation, and climate change, add to this phenomenon. The activities that threaten coastal wetlands in the world are relevant to coastal wetlands in Ghana. The Songor and Sakumo wetland catchments are international ecosystems endangered by land modifications and sea level rise. There are gaps in the body of knowledge that need investigation as regards underlying processes and transformation. This study assessed land use and land cover (LULC) changes between 1990 and 2020. The study used geospatial techniques and intensity analysis. LULC change results were from Landsat images (1990, 2000, 2011, and 2020). These changes were attributed to an increase in human activities. Changes in the Sakumo wetland catchment fell more into human-induced LULC categories, and vice versa for the Songor wetland catchment. The study recommends comprehensive methods of LULC change analysis. This would enhance biodiversity and allow the sustainable usage of wetland resources.

As flooding is inevitable and becoming increasingly frequent, efficient flood management strategies should be developed to manage floods, especially in developing countries. Rainfall-Runoff-Inundation (RRI) model, which is based on a diffusive wave model, was applied to Gin River Basin, Sri Lanka using daily rainfall data. The RRI model was calibrated and validated for three past flood events (2003, 2016, and 2017) based on observed discharge data and inundation maps developed from ground survey data and satellite images. The Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) values for river discharge obtained at the downstream gauging station were greater than 0.7 during both the calibration and validation experiments. Simulated inundation data showed good agreement with the limited observational records. The Critical Success Index (CSI) value for inundated extent in large flood event (May 2017) within downstream was greater than 0.3. Incorporation of embankment information significantly improved the accuracy of the simulation of inundation extent during large flood events (May 2017). The CSI value without embankment information for large flood event (May 2017) within downstream decreased to around 0.1. On the other hand, the embankment information was less useful for smaller flood events caused by less extreme rainfall. Inclusion of embankment information for large flood events enhanced the model performance, thus ensuring the availability of accurate inundation information for efficient flood risk planning and management in the basin.