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

Biomechanical measures through supporting ecosystem sustainability and regulating natural processes would be considered the adaptation techniques to tackle climate extremes, and on-site and off-site hazards. In this study, we explored the hydrological behavior of two nearly identical adjacent basins (paired catchments) in terms of implemented biomechanical measures. The water stage time series recorded by OTT devices was applied to assess the basins' hydrological response to a distinct precipitation event. The results indicated that the construction of check dams along with intensified vegetation coverage can profoundly contribute to the hydrology, particularly surface runoff generation and its delivery downstream. The peak flow heights were found to be 53 and 31 cm for the control and treatment catchments, respectively. Our results revealed the control catchment contributed substantially (approximately 41.5%) to surface runoff provision service and flooding, more so than the treatment catchment. Moreover, the treatment catchment had a longer time to peak than the control catchment, reaching their respective peaks 35 and 50 min after the commencement of rainfall. Our findings provide increased insights into the interaction between biomechanical measures and hydrology. Accordingly, biomechanical measures can effectively be considered as mitigation strategies to tackle climate change and support regional sustainability.