Papers by Erich Wolff
ARMOR ASEAN Risk Monitor and Disaster Management Review, 2024
Southeast Asia's urban population faces climate risks in the form of flooding, drought and urban ... more Southeast Asia's urban population faces climate risks in the form of flooding, drought and urban heat. Residents of informal settlements often experience the most severe risk due to higher exposure and increased vulnerability to climate hazards. As climate adaptation projects flourish, there is a need to better characterize the hazards, e.g., magnitude of floods and ambient temperatures, and monitor project effectiveness, e.g., reduction in flood or temperatures due to an intervention. This is particularly true for nature-based solutions such as river restoration or tree planting, for which the evidence base is more limited in the region. In this chapter, we synthesize the climate risks in informal settlements in Southeast Asia and opportunities for nature-based solutions to mitigate such risks. Next, we describe three technological approaches – low-cost sensors, IT tools for citizen science, and satellite imagery – that show strong potential to improve climate risk assessment and management in informal settlements. Finally, we present two case studies applying these technologies to better assess climate hazards in informal settlements. The first exemplifies the potential of low-cost temperature sensors to assess heat exposure in informal settlements, while the second illustrates the use of citizen science in community flood monitoring. We conclude with a discussion on the upscaling of these technologies in informal settlements and the role of institutes of higher learning in promoting climate resilience in the region.
Kerb Journal, Issue 30, 2022
Smartphones are instruments of power. Equipped with cameras, sensors and internet access, smartph... more Smartphones are instruments of power. Equipped with cameras, sensors and internet access, smartphones have remarkable applications in design and planning. They can connect to other devices, share live information online and operate as powerful data collection tools. Now that they are ubiquitous, how are these technologies changing the power relations within our landscapes? And, perhaps more importantly, are designers and planners harnessing the crowdsourced power of smartphones.
The Conversation
Millions of people in Indonesia, a vast low-lying archipelago in Southeast Asia with the secondlo... more Millions of people in Indonesia, a vast low-lying archipelago in Southeast Asia with the secondlongest coastline in the world, live in flood-prone river and coastal areas. Floods and storms are the most common type of disaster affecting Indonesian cities, according to a UN report. Current attempts to manage these disasters rely heavily on investing in flood walls and canals. These measures seem to be insufficient, as the disasters continue every year, hurting the economy. Our latest research shows citizen science can contribute to finding solutions by helping scientists understand the impacts of floods. Citizen science is a way for communities to collaborate with researchers. This approach has been gaining traction in fields such as ecology, environmental planning and hydrology.
The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional Futures, 2021
A large share of urban development in the Global South consists of informal settlements. In addit... more A large share of urban development in the Global South consists of informal settlements. In addition to multiple everyday risks, informal dwellers face climate-related risks such as flooding and heat waves. Solutions relying on natural infrastructuregreenspace, trees, bioretention systemsincrease climate resilience in informal settlements as part of upgrading projects co-developed with local communities. In addition to addressing hydroclimatic risks, natural infrastructure provides multiple co-benefits such as supporting biodiversity, improving water quality, and increasing quality of life through aesthetic and social benefits. Case studies in Colombia, Fiji, and Indonesia exemplify how natural infrastructure can be implemented in practice, while also highlighting challenges due to data collection and sometimes resettlement of local communities. They pave the way to mainstreaming natural infrastructure considerations in upgrading projects that improve climate resilience in informal settlements.
Operationalising Research: Embedded PhDs in Transdisciplinary, Action Research Projects
The PhD at the End of the World, 2020
This chapter explores strategies for operationalising PhD studies in the context of a large resea... more This chapter explores strategies for operationalising PhD studies in the context of a large research project addressing the unrelenting problem of ill-health in the growing population of informal settlements in the Global South. We advocate that PhD training presents an opportunity to contribute to these contexts by both training a new kind of action-oriented scholar, but also by strategically deploying the enormous energies and original work generated through PhD candidates towards this critical mission. Driven by the desire to give agency and utility to PhD researchers in a much-needed domain of transdisciplinary research, the chapter chronicles the trials of a group of four PhD candidates embedded in a large health study using innovative approaches to the revitalisation of 24 informal settlement communities in the Asia-Pacific. Through a discussion between the candidates and supervisory team, the chapter uncovers three types of embedded PhD’s. It articulates the challenges and op...
The PhD at the End of the World, 2020
This chapter explores strategies for operationalising PhD studies in the context of a large resea... more This chapter explores strategies for operationalising PhD studies in the context of a large research project addressing the unrelenting problem of ill-health in the growing population of informal settlements in the Global South. We advocate that PhD training presents an opportunity to contribute to these contexts by both training a new kind of action-oriented scholar, but also by strategically deploying the enormous energies and original work generated through PhD candidates towards this critical mission. Driven by the desire to give agency and utility to PhD researchers in a much-needed domain of transdisciplinary research, the chapter chronicles the trials of a group of four PhD candidates embedded in a large health study using innovative approaches to the revitalisation of 24 informal settlement communities in the Asia-Pacific. Through a discussion between the candidates and supervisory team, the chapter uncovers three types of embedded PhD’s. It articulates the challenges and op...
Climate Resilience in Informal Settlements: The Role of Natural Infrastructure
The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional Futures
Urban Planning
Concerns regarding the impacts of climate change on marginalised communities in the Global South ... more Concerns regarding the impacts of climate change on marginalised communities in the Global South have led to calls for affected communities to be more active as agents in the process of planning for climate change. While the value of involving communities in risk management is increasingly accepted, the development of appropriate tools to support community engagement in flood risk management projects remains nascent. Using the Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environments Program as a case study, the article interrogates the potential of citizen science to include disadvantaged urban communities in project-level flood risk reduction planning processes. This project collected more than 5,000 photos taken by 26 community members living in 13 informal settlements in Fiji and Indonesia between 2018 and 2020. The case study documents the method used as well as the results achieved within this two-year project. It discusses the method developed and implemented, outlines the mai...
Urban Planning
Concerns regarding the impacts of climate change on marginalised communities in the Global South ... more Concerns regarding the impacts of climate change on marginalised communities in the Global South have led to calls for affected communities to be more active as agents in the process of planning for climate change. While the value of involving communities in risk management is increasingly accepted, the development of appropriate tools to support community engagement in flood risk management projects remains nascent. Using the Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environments Program as a case study, the article interrogates the potential of citizen science to include disadvantaged urban communities in project-level flood risk reduction planning processes. This project collected more than 5,000 photos taken by 26 community members living in 13 informal settlements in Fiji and Indonesia between 2018 and 2020. The case study documents the method used as well as the results achieved within this two-year project. It discusses the method developed and implemented, outlines the mai...
The Techno-politics of Crowdsourced Disaster Data in the Smart City
This article interrogates the techno-politics of crowdsourced data in the study of environmental ... more This article interrogates the techno-politics of crowdsourced data in the study of environmental hazards such as floods, storms, wildfires, and cyclones. We highlight some of the main debates around the use of citizen-generated data for assessing, monitoring, and responding to disasters. We then argue that, compared to the number of articles discussing the quality of citizen-generated data, little attention has been dedicated to discussing the social and political implications of this kind of practice. Citizen science is generally understood as the participation of non-scientist citizens in the generation, collection, and even analysis of scientific data through frameworks usually established by scientists (Haklay et al., 2018). Supported by the ubiquitous presence of smartphones and other information and communications technologies (ICTs) that characterize Smart Cities (Townsend, 2014; Karvonen et al., 2019), citizen science projects are one of the approaches most used to collectiv...
Floods are expected to become more intense and increasingly frequent over the coming years. Over ... more Floods are expected to become more intense and increasingly frequent over the coming years. Over the last few decades , scholars, policy makers and risk managers have been gradually acknowledging that community-based initiatives can represent a promising alternative for addressing the hazard of floods at the local scale. In the context of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (SFDRR), this article presents a systematic literature review of the recent global body of literature on the topic. This work analyses 40 articles published over the last five years to identify the types of engagement allowed in the projects and to discuss the emerging debates in the field since the establishment of the SFDRR. The literature review interrogates where these approaches are being developed and how community-based approaches have been supporting the achievement of the SFDRR targets. The review shows that a growing body of literature has been applying community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR) and citizen science methods in order to respond to the call for a more people-centred approach towards floods. This call, outlined by the SFDRR, is particularly relevant in the context of vulnerable communities such as the residents of informal settlements , which have historically been disproportionately affected by floods. The article then provides an original contribution to the field by documenting and reflecting on the firsthand findings of a long-term community-based program assessing flood risks conducted within the Revitalising Informal settlements and Their Environments (RISE) program. The article outlines the implementation, operation and initial findings of the project, which involved community-members in the documentation of flood-levels in informal settlements in Suva, Fiji and Makassar, Indonesia between 2018 and 2020. The findings from the case study suggest that approaches involving communities in flood monitoring can, beyond facilitating flood documentation, unlock additional risk reduction benefits such as enhancing social capital and facilitating risk communication. The conclusions highlight that, similar to RISE's flood monitoring project, several other community-based initiatives have been developed all over the world. While these initiatives vary significantly in the degrees of community participation and their methods, most of the literature agrees that these emerging methods are considered particularly promising in terms of improving disaster knowledge and awareness when community members participate in disaster risk reduction. The review of this body of literature, however, indicates that more research is needed to examine how social capital as well as cultural and political aspects can be harnessed and strengthened to play important roles in the response to floods. Keywords: Flood Crowdsourcing Citizen Science Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) Community-based Disaster Risk Reduction (CBDRR) 1. Context and background for the literature review The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (SFDRR) was established to respond to a global context characterised by disasters becoming increasingly frequent and intense all over the world [77]. The SFDRR suggests that "there has to be a broader and a more people-centred preventive approach to disaster risk" and that special attention and support should be directed to "developing countries […] to augment domestic resources and capabilities" in terms of disaster risk reduction [77]. It also advocates for a "multi-hazard and multi-sectoral" practice as an alternative to more unidimensional centralised methods traditionally used to map, monitor and respond to disasters [77]. The recent literature in the field, however, indicates that the political , technical and practical challenges of this agenda might demand a significant revision of the methods traditionally used to address disaster risk all over the world. As a response to this call for action, several authors have been arguing that the popularisation of community-based initiatives, including citizen science and community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR) projects, might be essential to achieve the SFDRR's agenda [1,49,79].
Gerenciamento de risco geotécnico aplicado a infraestruturas portuárias
The Urban Transcripts Journal, 2020
This article examines how the idea of "risk" has become one of the most significant frameworks to... more This article examines how the idea of "risk" has become one of the most significant frameworks to determine which land is appropriate; which land is unsuitable and which land is desirable for human occupation. Looking at the context of informal urbanisation in the Global South, this text intends to provoke a reflection on how risk-oriented practices have dominated governmental planning and what consequences this framework has for social and ecological justice. Evidence from numerous "urban upgrading" projects shows that risk management has monopolised democratic debates and, indirectly, created obstacles for the right to the city by substantially undermining citizen participation in the decision-making process. While this text does not intend to provide definitive answers, it intends to discuss the challenges of informal urbanisation in hazardous areas, such as landslide and flood-prone sites and suggests ways of reconsidering land occupation beyond traditional risk-oriented views. The conclusion points to authors and practitioners that have been questioning the monopoly of centralised risk analysis and planning by looking at alternative models to incorporate diverse perspectives towards environmental hazards. This article intends to show that challenging traditional risk management can reshape how planners understand land and, as a result, support active civic participation in land regulation and planning.
Revista dos Transportes Publicos, 2015
Title in english "Vulnerability Management based on the use of accessibility indicators in public... more Title in english "Vulnerability Management based on the use of accessibility indicators in public transport networks: a case study in Brasilia (Federal District)" //
This article discusses a vulnerability management method based on the use of accessibility indicators to identify vulnerable elements in the public transport network. The tool is applied to conduct qualitative and quantitative analysis in the public transport network of the Brazilian Federal District. The method was able to estimate disruptions caused to users in terms of additional costs and time required for movement. //
Neste artigo, discute-se o método de gerenciamento de vulnerabilidades baseado no uso de indicadores de acessibilidade para identificação de elementos vulneráveis em redes de transporte público. Aplica-se a ferramenta ao caso do DF com conclusões quantitativas e qualitativas. Foram estimados prejuízos causados aos usuários pela interrupção do serviço em termos de tempo e de custo.
Archdaily, 2020
Qual a sua ideia de paisagem? Arquitetura da Paisagem – tradução literal do inglês “Landscape Arc... more Qual a sua ideia de paisagem? Arquitetura da Paisagem – tradução literal do inglês “Landscape Architecture” – é um campo de conhecimento adjacente à arquitetura e ao urbanismo que muitos relutam em traduzir para o português como Paisagismo, mas que não abrange as complexidades da arquitetura da paisagem. Suspeitamos que a razão por trás do desconforto com a tradução pode ser entendida como o resultado de uma tradição arquitetônica comum no Brasil de entender a paisagem como um ente puramente projetado e estático. O escopo diverso e a profundidade das contribuições da Anuradha e Dilip não se restringem apenas aos métodos e a significância global dos projetos, mas devem ser entendidos também como precursores de uma prática profissional da paisagem que se posiciona contra modelos insustentáveis, colonialistas e socialmente injustos. Seu legado nos convida a pensar a paisagem como uma fusão do mundo natural com o mundo projetado e assim nos presenteia com ferramentas para entender um planeta em plena transformação. Cabe a nós, agora, criar oportunidades para reimaginar a paisagem por meio de práticas profissionais cada vez mais mais resilientes, politizadas, ecológicas e justas.
Conference Presentations by Erich Wolff
World Congress Resilience, Reliability and Asset Management Conference Proceedings, 2019
The development of green infrastructures has opened new opportunities to address ongoing challeng... more The development of green infrastructures has opened new opportunities to address ongoing challenges for infrastructure provision globally, particularly the urgent need to provide essential services for growing populations while withstanding adverse climatic changes. This paper seeks to contribute to the development of resilience-oriented design practices for green infrastructure systems. It maps assumptions, actions, plausible events and signposts to analyse these systems through a case study: the provision of infrastructures in the RISE program (https://www.rise-program.org/). The program is currently implementing green infrastructure interventions (constructed wetland systems) for the treatment of wastewater in informal settlements in Indonesia and Fiji. Drawing on methods from Assumption-Based Planning, it exposes and analyses the resilience-oriented tacit knowledge used by experts, such as ecologists and engineers, in green infrastructure design. Semi-structured interviews and analysis were used to uncover the principles that underpinned the design of the green infrastructure systems for informal settlements in flood-prone areas. The early findings suggest that the experts have considered redundancy and recoverability as essential aspects of the system design. The research has also led to the development and consolidation of adaptive planning tools that should contribute to informing implementation, operation and maintenance within the next stages of the RISE project, the construction of built interventions in 24 neighbourhoods. Furthermore, by reviewing resilience-oriented practices in a live project, the principles resulting from this research is relevant to other green infrastructure projects in changing contexts.
Congresso Brasileiro de Geologia de Engenharia, 2015
This study consists of using a method for geotechnical identification based on the internationall... more This study consists of using a method for geotechnical identification based on the internationally accepted principles presented by ISO 31000 (2009), used for decision-making and risk control and mitigation. Therefore, the relevant information about geotechnical elements in coastal areas and river banks are analyzed, in addition to the theory related to failure probabilities. Then, the method is applied to a situation based in a real context, in the port área of Manaus, in order to serve as an example of the possibilities of using this tool. Aspects of the geotechnical context involved in landfall probability are discussed while conclusions are made, and suggestions for future studies on the application of the method are presented. // A proposta consiste na aplicação de um método de caracterização geotécnica do subsolo de regiões de interesse baseado nos princípios aceitos internacionalmente apresentados pela ISO 31000 (2009) para fins de tomada de decisões e controle ou mitigação de riscos. Para tanto, são abordadas as especificidades geotécnicas de áreas costeiras e em margens de rios, além da fundamentação teórica sobre risco. Em segundo momento, o método é aplicado a uma situação baseada em um contexto real, na área portuária de Manaus, com o propósito de servir como exemplo de utilização da ferramenta. São levantados e debatidos fatores do contexto geotécnico envolvido que tenham influência na probabilidade de falha, ao passo que são feitas as conclusões, sugestões para futuros aprofundamentos e considerações finais sobre a aplicação do método.
2016 MIT SCALE Latin American Conference, Boston, 2016
Considering ISO 31000 (2009) , the objective of this paper is to present how risk management in u... more Considering ISO 31000 (2009) , the objective of this paper is to present how risk management in urban transport planning can ensure smaller uncertainties by raising sustainability, accessibility and reliability in urban logistics. While risk analysis is an important aspect in the management of critical structures, its use in urban planning is underrated.
Evidence demonstrates that if planners used risk analysis as an urban logistics tool more frequently, their designs could consider damage-mitigating elements, risk monitoring and evaluation of multiple design options. These risk management technics are based on probabilities, expected consequences and risk limitation. An analysis of the method is made as the process is exemplified using the transport network of Brasília with its real characteristics and transport demand. The occurrence of floods is evaluated and probabilities are estimated using the concept of rainfall threshold. The results of studies regarding floods in the studied area are presented in a map and combined with the potential damage analysis to generate the risk study. The method proposes the evaluation of risks in the transport network in order to estimate the most important infrastructure elements. Later, they are ranked from the strategic logistic point of view using risk as criteria. Consequently, the most recommended improvements are identified and general suggestions for urban design are given that can lead to further developments in the transports and urban logistics planning. The process is expected to contribute with future studies on infrastructure planning by raising awareness on risk management in growing cities logistics.
19 Congresso Brasileiro de Transporte e Transito, 2013
Discute-se o método baseado no uso de indicadores de acessibilidade para identificação de element... more Discute-se o método baseado no uso de indicadores de acessibilidade para identificação de elementos vulneráveis em redes de transporte público.
Thesis Chapters by Erich Wolff
Masters Thesis, 2014
This thesis consists of the development of a method that can be applied for risk management in ca... more This thesis consists of the development of a method that can be applied for risk management in case of geotechnical occurrences in port infrastructures. The process uses a management method based on the internationally accepted principles presented by ISO 31000 (2009), used for decision-making and risk control and mitigation. Therefore, the relevant information about the Brazilian port system is discussed and geotechnical elements in coastal areas and river banks are analyzed, in addition to the theory related to risk and management. Then, the risk management model is applied to a situation based in a real occurrence, the landslide at TUP Chibatão, in order to serve as an example of the possibilities of using this tool. Aspects of ports and the geotechnical context involved in risk management are discussed while conclusions are made, and suggestions for future studies on the application of the method are presented.
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Papers by Erich Wolff
This article discusses a vulnerability management method based on the use of accessibility indicators to identify vulnerable elements in the public transport network. The tool is applied to conduct qualitative and quantitative analysis in the public transport network of the Brazilian Federal District. The method was able to estimate disruptions caused to users in terms of additional costs and time required for movement. //
Neste artigo, discute-se o método de gerenciamento de vulnerabilidades baseado no uso de indicadores de acessibilidade para identificação de elementos vulneráveis em redes de transporte público. Aplica-se a ferramenta ao caso do DF com conclusões quantitativas e qualitativas. Foram estimados prejuízos causados aos usuários pela interrupção do serviço em termos de tempo e de custo.
Conference Presentations by Erich Wolff
Evidence demonstrates that if planners used risk analysis as an urban logistics tool more frequently, their designs could consider damage-mitigating elements, risk monitoring and evaluation of multiple design options. These risk management technics are based on probabilities, expected consequences and risk limitation. An analysis of the method is made as the process is exemplified using the transport network of Brasília with its real characteristics and transport demand. The occurrence of floods is evaluated and probabilities are estimated using the concept of rainfall threshold. The results of studies regarding floods in the studied area are presented in a map and combined with the potential damage analysis to generate the risk study. The method proposes the evaluation of risks in the transport network in order to estimate the most important infrastructure elements. Later, they are ranked from the strategic logistic point of view using risk as criteria. Consequently, the most recommended improvements are identified and general suggestions for urban design are given that can lead to further developments in the transports and urban logistics planning. The process is expected to contribute with future studies on infrastructure planning by raising awareness on risk management in growing cities logistics.
Thesis Chapters by Erich Wolff
This article discusses a vulnerability management method based on the use of accessibility indicators to identify vulnerable elements in the public transport network. The tool is applied to conduct qualitative and quantitative analysis in the public transport network of the Brazilian Federal District. The method was able to estimate disruptions caused to users in terms of additional costs and time required for movement. //
Neste artigo, discute-se o método de gerenciamento de vulnerabilidades baseado no uso de indicadores de acessibilidade para identificação de elementos vulneráveis em redes de transporte público. Aplica-se a ferramenta ao caso do DF com conclusões quantitativas e qualitativas. Foram estimados prejuízos causados aos usuários pela interrupção do serviço em termos de tempo e de custo.
Evidence demonstrates that if planners used risk analysis as an urban logistics tool more frequently, their designs could consider damage-mitigating elements, risk monitoring and evaluation of multiple design options. These risk management technics are based on probabilities, expected consequences and risk limitation. An analysis of the method is made as the process is exemplified using the transport network of Brasília with its real characteristics and transport demand. The occurrence of floods is evaluated and probabilities are estimated using the concept of rainfall threshold. The results of studies regarding floods in the studied area are presented in a map and combined with the potential damage analysis to generate the risk study. The method proposes the evaluation of risks in the transport network in order to estimate the most important infrastructure elements. Later, they are ranked from the strategic logistic point of view using risk as criteria. Consequently, the most recommended improvements are identified and general suggestions for urban design are given that can lead to further developments in the transports and urban logistics planning. The process is expected to contribute with future studies on infrastructure planning by raising awareness on risk management in growing cities logistics.