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Hazard mitigation strategies must consider the cumulative impact of urban development and land-use changes across multiple scales in coastal margins well into the future

My research underscores the important statement above that hazard resiliency must consider the cumulative impact of several mitigation strategies across multiple scales. Some of my recent research projects that highlight this include evaluating the environmental and economic benefits property buyout and managed retreat programs in the U.S., measuring residential losses and business disruptions from hurricane events in the Houston area, and creating a synergistic model for transboundary flood hazard mitigation.

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Wooden House in the Forest

Buyouts and Managed Retreat

Buyouts have traditionally been carried out with little regard for non-monetary benefits, such as ecological and aesthetic values, but have been driven by a cost-benefit calculus that leads to a reactionary, ad hoc selection process after a flood event has already occurred. This standard practice can result in a disjointed pattern of open spaces that does little to protect environmental assets. This research theme explores buyouts for flood risk reduction in a way that can be combined with protecting ecological values and help communities become more resilient over the long term. In this research area, I highlight the importance of considering ecological gains and the pattern of existing open space in selectin buyout candidates in the US. I also discuss issues that local communities face in selecting property buyouts and how they can apply the most optimal measures for flood hazard mitigation strategies given budget and data constraints. 

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Green Park

Measuring the Effectiveness of Hazard Mitigation Strategies

This research theme evaluates the unintended incremental adverse impacts that flood mitigation strategies can have on a region. It also highlights the reactionary way planners implement mitigation decisions after a flooding event has occurred. My research provides a proactive method to spatially direct policies that are financially optimal in the disbursement of limited disaster and mitigation grants. Further research in this area also examines how the optimal selection of mitigation measures can further benefit communities with limited support from federal grants, and how identifying their flood risk can better inform non-structural mitigation measures at the household scale. This research theme also addresses flood mitigation methods and help identify concerns associated with existing efforts of managing flood hazard infrastructure in the U.S.

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Modern Neighborhood

Synergistic Built Environment Approach to Flood Hazard Mitigation

Flood risk transcends political boundaries and cross multiple scales, hence the need for a region-focused environmental planning approach for reducing flood risk, especially for ecological units that span multiple political boundaries. However, in the United States, decisions that have larger regional ecological implications are delegated to local jurisdictions that make decisions whose consequences are not bound by jurisdictional boundaries. These decisions may adversely impact neighboring (mostly downstream) communities within or even outside the watershed. By coupling hydraulic modeling, geospatial analysis, and qualitative and quantitative methodologies, my ongoing research assesses the impact of multiple mitigation techniques across multiple spatial scales in the built environment and how they contribute to reducing flood risk .

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Funded Grants and Awards

  • $207,018. Principal Investigator: Highfield, W., CoPI: Atoba, K. Advancing Resilient Infrastructure Strategies with Nature-based Solutions. Sponsor North Carolina State University. Primary Sponsor: DHS-Federal Emergency Management Agency.

  • $605,643. National Science Foundation. Principal Investigator: Atoba, K Large-scale CoPe: Coastal Hazards, Equity, Economic Prosperity, and Resilience (CHEER)”. Total Hub award $16,240,129 Hub Sponsor: University of Delaware. PI: Davidson, Rachel, Co-PIs: Nozick, L., Colle, B., DeYoung, S., Millea, M. Award No: 2209190 (2022-2027).

  • $149,974. Texas One Gulf Principal Investigator: Davlasheridze, M; Co-PIs: Sebastian, A, Miao, Qing, Atoba, K. Flood Risk and Vulnerability: Evaluating the Fiscal and Social Implications of Property Buyouts in Flood-prone Communities (2022-2023)

  • $1,150,000. Texas Governor’s Office. Interagency Cooperation Contract. PI: Samuel Brody, Co-PIs: Atoba, K., Blessing, R., Highfield, W., Section 39: Institute for a Disaster Resilient Texas (EC6.1 Revenue Replacement - Provision of Government Services). Project Title: Digital Flood Risk Infrastructure Program (DRIP) for Under-resourced Texas Communities

  • $1,950,017. Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM). PI: Atoba, Kayode O. Co-PI: Brody, S., Highfield, W., Blessing, R., Mobley, W., Retchless, D., Ross, A. Texas Natural Hazard Risk Assessment (Enhanced State Hazard Mitigation Plan - Task 2. Statewide Hazard Data Collection and Analysis). Grant No. 21-125-000-C775. (2021-2023)

  • $30,000. South Dakota State University. Atoba, Kayode O. Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship. Department of Geography, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD. (2016 - 2018)

  • $300 Texas A&M University. Graduate Research Award. Atoba, Kayode O. First place in Geography/Earth science research. Office of Graduate and Professional Studies, Texas A&M University, 2016 Student research week

Other Research Projects 

  • Other Research Personnel. Texas General Land Office. $8,500,000. PI: Brody, S. Texas Disaster Information System (TDIS) (2021-2024).

  • Other Research Personnel. Texas General Land Office. $2,000,000. PI: Brody, S. Measuring, Mapping, and Managing Flood Risk in Texas (2019-2022). Contract No. 19-181-000-B574.

  • Contributing Researcher. Texas General Land Office. $1,594,189. PI: W.E. Highfield. Evaluating the Effects of a Coastal Spine: National-Level Economic Ripples and Effects on Flood Insurance (2018).

  • Contributing Researcher. Environmental Protection Agency, $799,928 U.S Environmental Protection Agency. Co-PI: Newman, G. Engaging the Galena Park Community to Build Resilience to Excess Industrial Pollutant Releases after Hurricanes and Floods in Greater Houston.

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