Y.C. Ethan Yang, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, leads a group of students researching stormwater and flood mitigation strategies on Lehigh University's campus as part of the Campus Sustainable Impact Fellowship Program. This past summer, a group installed sensors at a retention basin on Goodman campus to gather data during the Mountaintop Summer Experience. In 2020, Yang received the presigious NSF CAREER award in support of his research exploring the impact of green infrastructure on urban flooding.
Project Description
Climate change is one of the largest challenges of our lifetime and it will have far reaching impacts if left unaddressed. Projections from the 2020 April Pennsylvania Climate Impacts Assessment Update show that average rainfall and extreme precipitation will increase 8% to 12% in the region. How do we mitigate against the threat of floods? Flooding can cause economic and structural damage that takes years to recover from. Green Infrastructure (GI) elements like rain barrels and green roofs can reduce this damage significantly. This project will work to upgrade GI on Lehigh’s campus, ultimately becoming a model for GI upgrades city- and nation-wide.
Video by Stephanie Veto