How the biomechanical measures can incorporate climate change adaptation into disaster risk reduction and ecosystem sustainability

Abstract Climate change as an eminent driver of global environmental changes has adversely affected the various dimensions of human life, natural resources, and in particular the flow regimes over the last couple of decades. This study explored the pathways to obtain ecosystem stability and regulate natural processes through incorporating climate change adaptation measures into disaster risk reduction. Accordingly, the hydrological behavior of almost two adjacent similar basins (paired catchments) was assessed in terms of implemented biomechanical measures that served as climate adaptation strategies. The available water stage time series recorded by OTT devices were applied to evaluate the effectiveness of the adaptation measures. Results revealed that the constructed check dams along with the intensified vegetation cover majorly regulated the process of surface runoff generation and its transportation to downstream. The peak flow of 53 and 31 cm were shown across the Control and Treatment catchments, without and with the conservation measures, respectively. The difference in peak flow implies the high contribution of the Control catchment (approximately 41.5%) in surface runoff provision service and flood in particular. Also, the time to peak in the Treatment catchment was 3 times higher than the Control catchment where they touched their own peak 35 and 50 minutes after the rain started, respectively. The findings suggest that biomechanical measures successfully regulated the surface runoff generation which in turn increased the stability of soil to erosion. Therefore, the constructed measures would be strongly recommended as climate mitigation strategies to achieve regional low-impact development as well as environmental sustainability.