The Case for Collaborative Flood Modeling in Paraguay

Brett Sanders ^1,2,3 Dayna Vargas ^1,2 Jochen Schubert ^1,2 Napoleon Gudino Elizondo ^1,2 Amir AghaKouchak ^1,2,4 Maura Allaire ^1,3 Richard Matthew ^1,3 James Orbinski ⁵ Martin Burt ^1,6

¹Blum Center for Poverty Alleviation, University of California Irvine, USA
²Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California Irvine, USA
³Urban Planning and Public Policy, University of California Irvine, USA
⁴Earth System Science, University of California Irvine, USA
⁵Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, York University, Canada
⁶{}, Fundacion Paraguaya, Paraguay

We outline here the pressing need for, and opportunity to, address socio-economic and health impacts of flooding in Paraguay by collaborating with stakeholders in the development and application of advanced flood hazard models and visualizations. Collaborative modeling involves two-way communication between domain experts and stakeholders, serves as a focal point for collective learning about the consequences of flooding, and promotes deeper engagement towards how best to manage it. Collaborative modeling contributes to many dimensions of flood risk management including increased awareness and preparedness, improved emergency response, and development of fair and cost-effective mitigation strategies. Herein, we describe major flooding challenges facing Paraguay, preliminary flood hazard models depicting the potential for a worsening problem on the Paraguay River, and the opportunity for collaborative modeling to support dialogue, deliberation and decision-making.

Brett Sanders