Achieving the SDG Goal 11: Flood mitigation and adaptation strategies in Iowa
Date
2021-12
Authors
Tetteh, Esther
Major Professor
Advisor
Das, Biswa
Owusu, Francis
Seeger, Christopher
Committee Member
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Altmetrics
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The United Nations launched the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 to address urban development issues after the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) ended in 2015. The MDGs were created to increase living standards in the developing world, whereas the SDGs were made to achieve sustainability both in the global north and south. Goal 11 of the SDGs focuses on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. The New Urban Agenda works as an accelerator for SDG 11. It aims to promote sustainability and inclusivity in addition to attaining environmental goals and developing resilient cities. The impacts of climate change have been felt through devastating floods in Iowa and around the globe. In coping with the aftermath of the devastating 2008 floods, cities in Iowa have developed several tools to analyze flood risk and apply various indicators to guide the planning process – as part of efforts to achieve sustainability and resiliency. The goal of this study is to assess the impacts of flooding on different socioeconomic groups in three cities in Iowa impacted by the 2008 floods - Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and Des Moines. Using secondary quantitative data, the study employed Geographic Information System Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (GIS-MCDA) to examine how Iowa cities incorporate SDG 11 into flood hazard management and how useful they have been in achieving the targets. Using direct interviews with decision-makers in the three cities, the study undertook qualitative data analysis to identify major themes in the flood mitigation and disaster recovery efforts. The socioeconomic data for 2014 and 2019 were analyzed using Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) to identify clusters and overlayed on a flood risk map produced for each city. The results show a correlation between poverty, non-white populations, bachelor’s degree, and flood risk zones. Also, SDG 11 and NUA were not known or used as a framework because in flood risk management, although the three cities did adopt sustainable flood mitigation strategies. The study recommends cities and state departments to embrace the SDGs and NUA in flood risk management. In addition to that, local knowledge and Information Communication Technology (ICT) could be utilized to improve community engagement in the flood risk decision-making process.
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