Estuarine margins are often occupied by large urban areas, constituting a territory with high exposure of people and infrastructures critical to flood events. At the same time, the process that generates flooding in these areas is complex due to the combination of multiple forcing factors (e.g. storm surge, precipitation, high tide levels). Thus, assessing and managing the risk of flooding in estuaries remains a challenge, as it depends both on knowledge of the combination of different forcing factors (compound flooding) and the different types of damage associated with the types of river bank occupation. The lecture presents a methodological approach to obtaining flood risk assessment indicators from historical records, integrating the two risk dimensions (compound flooding and damage). Its integration into databases and statistical treatment are also explored, as well as an assessment of the advantages and limitations of using this type of record.

Bio note
Ana Rodrigues Rilo has a degree in geology from the University of Coimbra and a master's degree in geosciences, environment and planning from the same university. She has a PhD in Territory, Risk and Public Policies from the Universities of Lisbon, Aveiro and Coimbra since February 2024. Since 2011 Rilo has been a member of the Estuaries and Coastal Zones Centre of the Hydraulics and Environment Department of the National Civil Engineering Laboratory (LNEC), where she is currently a senior technician. In her career, she has worked mainly in the area of risks in coastal zones, as well as coastal management and protection in the context of climate change. She is the author and co-author of 3 book chapters, 13 scientific articles in peer-reviewed indexed journals (6 of which as first author), more than a dozen reports and technical notes, and other publications such as conference papers and abstracts, posters and oral presentations.

Lecture organised as part of the «Lecture Series of the Doctoral Programme in Territory, Risk and Public Policies (2024-20259)».