Articles | Volume 18, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-5969-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-5969-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Geospatial micro-estimates of slum populations in 129 Global South countries using machine learning and public data
Dan Li
Institute of Blue and Green Development, Shandong University, Weihai, 264209, China
Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
School of Finance & Management, SOAS University of London, London, WC1H 0XG, UK
Yang Yu
Division of Liberal Studies, Howard Community College, Columbia, MD 21044, USA
Peipei Tian
Institute of Blue and Green Development, Shandong University, Weihai, 264209, China
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Hanqing Xu, Elisa Ragno, Sebastiaan N. Jonkman, Jun Wang, Jeremy D. Bricker, Zhan Tian, and Laixiang Sun
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 3919–3930, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3919-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3919-2024, 2024
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A coupled statistical–hydrodynamic model framework is employed to quantitatively evaluate the sensitivity of compound flood hazards to the relative timing of peak storm surges and rainfall. The findings reveal that the timing difference between these two factors significantly affects flood inundation depth and extent. The most severe inundation occurs when rainfall precedes the storm surge peak by 2 h.
Patrick Olschewski, Qi Sun, Jianhui Wei, Yu Li, Zhan Tian, Laixiang Sun, Joël Arnault, Tanja C. Schober, Brian Böker, Harald Kunstmann, and Patrick Laux
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-95, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2024-95, 2024
Revised manuscript not accepted
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There are indications that typhoon intensities may increase under global warming. However, further research on these projections and their uncertainties is necessary. We study changes in typhoon intensity under SSP5-8.5 for seven events affecting the Pearl River Delta using Pseudo-Global Warming and a storyline approach based on 16 CMIP6 models. Results show intensified wind speed, sea level pressure drop and precipitation levels for six events with amplified increases for individual storylines.
Qi Sun, Patrick Olschewski, Jianhui Wei, Zhan Tian, Laixiang Sun, Harald Kunstmann, and Patrick Laux
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 761–780, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-761-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-761-2024, 2024
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Tropical cyclones (TCs) often cause high economic loss due to heavy winds and rainfall, particularly in densely populated regions such as the Pearl River Delta (China). This study provides a reference to set up regional climate models for TC simulations. They contribute to a better TC process understanding and assess the potential changes and risks of TCs in the future. This lays the foundation for hydrodynamical modelling, from which the cities' disaster management and defence could benefit.
Hanqing Xu, Zhan Tian, Laixiang Sun, Qinghua Ye, Elisa Ragno, Jeremy Bricker, Ganquan Mao, Jinkai Tan, Jun Wang, Qian Ke, Shuai Wang, and Ralf Toumi
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 2347–2358, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2347-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2347-2022, 2022
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A hydrodynamic model and copula methodology were used to set up a joint distribution of the peak water level and the inland rainfall during tropical cyclone periods, and to calculate the marginal contributions of the individual drivers. The results indicate that the relative sea level rise has significantly amplified the peak water level. The astronomical tide is the leading driver, followed by the contribution from the storm surge.
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Short summary
We develop a generalized bottom-up framework for producing spatially explicit estimates of slum populations in data-sparse environments. The resulting dataset provides the first comprehensive inventory at an approximate spatial resolution of 6.72 km across 129 Global South countries. It addresses the underestimation in prior studies and supports national- and regional-scale assessments of urban sustainability and vulnerable populations, with potential applications for improving human well-being.
We develop a generalized bottom-up framework for producing spatially explicit estimates of slum...
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