Can Self-Activating Flood Barriers Be the Future of Urban Resilience? Karoline Qasem, PhD, PE, PMP, CFM๐ Water Engineer | ๐๏ธ Solving Com...
Published on by Hossein Ataei Far, Deputy Manager of the Research, Technology Development, and Industry Relations Center at NWWEC
Karoline Qasem, PhD, PE, PMP, CFM
๐ Water Engineer | ๐๏ธ Solving Community Water Quality & Stormwater Challenges | ๐ฑ Sustainable Solutions Advocate | ๐ Environmental Water Management | ๐ 22K+ Network | ๐ 23M+ Views๐
Flooding is one of the biggest challenges for cities.
Hereโs one approach being used in different parts of the world: a flood barrier that activates itself as water rises.
โ It doesnโt need electricity.
โ It doesnโt need people on site.
โ It relies only on hydraulic pressure.
On paper, it looks simple and resilient...
But when I shared this before, the feedback showed both sides:
What people liked
โ No added strain on electric grids
โ Passive design: it activates only when itโs needed
โ Already being tested in places like the Netherlands
What people questioned
โ Risk of clogging from debris, branches, leaves
โ Maintenance requirements over time
โ Whether itโs scalable or just site-specific
So the question isnโt whether it โworksโ; itโs whether systems like this can truly fit into long-term urban resilience planning.
Where do you land: a smart step forward, or a nice concept with limits?
๐ฅ Unknown (DM for Credits).
*๐๐ฐ๐ฑ๐บ๐ณ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ต๐ด ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ท๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ณ. ๐๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ข๐ฏ๐บ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ช๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ด, ๐ค๐ญ๐ข๐ช๐ฎ๐ด, ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ท๐ข๐ญ ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ด, ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ ๐ง๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ญ ๐ง๐ณ๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ค๐ต ๐ฎ๐ฆ.
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๐๐๐๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐'๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐:
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Link: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/karolineqasem_20minrule-waterengineering-floodresilience-activity-7370463879195205632-509B?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAEBDhzIBsyuiuDI0-eiNhRpHh9ad-Axkqtk
1 Comment
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๐๐ก Self-activating flood barriers show how simple, nature-driven design can inspire urban resilience. Every innovation starts with questions — but also with possibilities. As climate challenges grow, bold solutions like this remind us that rethinking protection today means safer cities tomorrow.
While questions about maintenance and scalability are valid, every bold idea begins with pilots, tests, and refinements. The fact that such systems are already being explored in places like the Netherlands shows their potential to inspire broader adoption.
๐ A heartfelt thanks to all the researchers, engineers, and professionals whose vision and dedication make innovations like this possible. Your work is paving the way for safer and more resilient communities worldwide.