Proposal:Flood assets

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Flood asset
Proposal status: Proposed (under way)
Proposed by: Nrr1729
Tagging: flood_asset=*
Applies to: node, way, area, relation
Definition: 'flood_asset' tag is intended to represent assets, both man-made and natural, that play a crucial role in providing flood defense or coastal protection functions. These assets contribute to disaster resilience and adaptation planning. Examples of such assets include, but are not limited to, wetlands, mangroves, mixed forests, shrubs/scrub, grasslands, cultivated crops, and other relevant features that act as barriers or aids in flood prevention.
Statistics:

Draft started: 2023-07-02

Proposal

This proposal advocates for the introduction of a new OpenStreetMap tag, 'flood_asset', to represent both natural and man-made assets contributing to flood defense or coastal protection functions. The proposed values include descriptors for various assets such as wetlands, mangroves, mixed forests, shrubs/scrub, grasslands, cultivated crops, levees, dams, sea walls, fluvial and pluvial flood barrier structures. The 'flood_asset' tag is suggested to be applicable to nodes, ways, areas, and relations, depending on the geographical extent and nature of the flood asset being mapped. This proposal aims to enhance the mapping of essential features for disaster resilience and adaptation planning, providing a comprehensive framework for representing diverse flood defense infrastructures in OpenStreetMap.

This proposal suggests using the 'flood_asset' tag on various types of database elements depending on the nature and geographical extent of the flood asset being mapped:

- `node`: Suitable for specific points representing individual flood assets, such as a notable tree or a small wetland area. - `way`: Applicable to linear features like embankments, levees, or other man-made or natural structures extending in a linear fashion. - `area`: Recommended for larger features that cover an area, such as forests, wetlands, or cultivated crop fields contributing to flood defense. - `relation`: Useful for complex relationships where multiple map elements are combined to represent a comprehensive flood defense system, such as a combination of levees, dams, and natural features.

Mappers should consider the most appropriate type based on the geographical extent and nature of the flood asset being mapped.

Rationale

The 'flood_asset' tag is chosen for its clarity and specificity. It succinctly communicates the focus on assets directly related to flood defense or coastal protection. By utilising this tag, mappers can easily identify and map diverse features, ranging from wetlands and mangroves to man-made structures like levees and dams.

While OpenStreetMap has tags for individual features like wetlands and forests, there isn't a unified tag specifically designed for flood defense assets. This proposal brings cohesion to mapping such features under a common umbrella, streamlining the representation of crucial information.

The need for such a tag is demonstrated by the project “Creation of a spatial flood asset database for Dharmadom local government, Kerala State”, which aims to relate any asset (man-made and natural) that provides flood defence or coastal protection functions in Dharmadom Local Government in the OpenStreetMap.

Tagging

The 'flood_asset' tag is used with specific values to denote different types of assets, both natural and man-made, contributing to flood defense or coastal protection functions. Examples of possible values include:

`flood_asset=wetlands`: Represents a wetland area contributing to flood defense.
`flood_asset=mangroves`: Denotes a mangrove forest providing coastal protection.
`flood_asset=mixed_forests`: Represents mixed forests contributing to flood prevention.
`flood_asset=shrub_scrub`: Denotes shrub or scrub areas with flood defense functions.
`flood_asset=grasslands`: Represents grasslands that play a role in flood resilience.
`flood_asset=cultivated_crops`: Denotes cultivated crops that may act as flood barriers.
`flood_asset=levee`: Represents man-made levees or embankments constructed for flood defense.
`flood_asset=dam`: Denotes dams or reservoirs designed for flood control.
`flood_asset=sea_wall`: Represents man-made sea walls providing coastal protection.

These values cover a broad spectrum of assets, encompassing both natural landscapes and human-made structures that contribute to flood mitigation and coastal protection.

The 'flood_asset' tag is intended to represent both natural and man-made assets contributing to flood defense or coastal protection functions. This includes a diverse range of features such as wetlands, mangroves, mixed forests, shrubs/scrub, grasslands, cultivated crops, levees, dams, sea walls, fluvial and pluvial flood barrier structures.

The 'flood_asset' tag can be applied to various types of map elements based on the nature and geographical extent of the flood asset being mapped:

`node`: For specific points representing individual flood assets, such as a notable tree or a small wetland area.
`way`: Applicable to linear features like embankments, levees, or other man-made or natural structures extending in a linear fashion.
`area`: Recommended for larger features that cover an area, such as forests, wetlands, or cultivated crop fields contributing to flood defense.
`relation`: Useful for complex relationships where multiple map elements are combined to represent a comprehensive flood defense system.

Rendering

The rendering of the flood_asset tag would depend on the specific asset being represented. For example, mangroves could be rendered as a green area with tree symbols, while wetlands could be rendered as a blue area with a marsh symbol.

Features/Pages affected

This proposal would require the creation of a new page on the OpenStreetMap Wiki to document the flood_asset tag and provide examples and guidelines for its use.

External discussions

https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Kerala/Grants/HOTBoosterGrant2023/Proposal/Creation_of_a_spatial_flood_asset_database_for_Dharmadom_local_government,_Kerala_State

Comments

Please comment on the discussion page.