Advances in urban flood studies: modelling, monitoring, strategic planning, and lessons learned

Urban flooding is one of the most complex and uncertain environmental hazards, as it results from the interplay of hydroclimatic variability, fine-scale rainfall dynamics, drainage systems, and the intricate and evolving topography of the built environment. It is a fast-evolving hazard that can claim lives and cause major disruptions to city life, including transportation, building functionality, and critical infrastructure. The short response times associated with urban flood events make both preparedness and a deeper understanding of flood processes particularly important. The papers collected in this Research Topic span a wide range of urban flood studies, from modelling and hazard assessment to vulnerability, resilience, and the analysis of past disasters. Together, they provide perspectives from diverse geographical and socio-economic contexts, highlighting both the common challenges faced by cities and the context-specific factors that shape flood risk and its impacts. Several contributions focus on improving the characterization of flood hazards and reducing uncertainties in urban flood assessments. These include studies on flood attribution, integrated modelling frameworks, sensitivity analyses, machine learning applications, and the use of non-conventional information sources. Other studies highlight that flood impacts cannot be understood solely through hazard analyses, emphasizing the role of vulnerability, social inequalities, governance, and preparedness in shaping disaster outcomes. A recurring theme across several contributions is the growing use of non-conventional and high-resolution data sources, ranging from crowd-sourced information and field observations to detailed building-level and socio-economic datasets, demonstrating their value for improving both flood-risk assessment and the understanding of flood impacts. Collectively, the papers illustrate a broader shift in urban flood studies toward more integrated approaches that consider not only flood processes, but also the built environment and the vulnerabilities of exposed populations.