Abstract. The vulnerability of flood-prone areas is determined by the susceptibility of the exposed assets to the hazard. It is a crucial component in risk assessment studies, both for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. In this study, we analyse patterns of vulnerability for the residential sector in a frequently hit urban area of Milan, Italy. The conceptual foundation for a quantitative assessment of the structural dimensions of vulnerability is based on the modified source–pathway–receptor–consequence model. This conceptual model is used to improve the parameterization of the flood risk analysis, describing (i) hazard scenario definitions performed by hydraulic modelling based on past event data (source estimation) and morphological features and land-use evaluation (pathway estimation) and (ii) the exposure and vulnerability assessment which consists of recognizing elements potentially at risk (receptor estimation) and event losses (consequence estimation). We characterized flood hazard intensity on the basis of variability in water depth during a recent event and spatial exposure also as a function of a building's surroundings and buildings' intrinsic characteristics as a determinant vulnerability indicator of the elements at risk. In this sense the use of a geographic scale sufficient to depict spatial differences in vulnerability allowed us to identify structural vulnerability patterns to inform depth–damage curves and calculate potential losses from mesoscale (land-use level) to microscale (building level). Results produces accurate estimates of the flood characteristics, with mean error in flood depth estimation in the range 0.2–0.3 m and provide a basis to obtain site-specific damage curves and damage mapping. Findings show that the nature of flood pathways varies spatially, is influenced by landscape characteristics and alters vulnerability spatial distribution and hazard propagation. At the mesoscale, the “continuous urban fabric” Urban Atlas 2018 land-use class with the occurrence of at least 80 % of soil sealing shows higher absolute damage values. At microscale, evidence demonstrated that even events with moderate magnitude in terms of flood depth in a complex urbanized area may cause more damage than one would expect.

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> “Anticipando la Crecida” Project (Anticipating the Flood) is an interdisciplinary project which deals with flood risk management strategies associated with intense rain events and southeasterly wind « sudestadas » in socio-economical vulnerable urban areas in Argentina. The objective of the current study is to use local knowledge through participatory activities to strengthen the phase of risk awareness of an early warning system by using cartography as a work tool. For this purpose, eleven workshops with adults and children were held between 2014 and 2017 in Buenos Aires metropolitan area and the towns of San Antonio de Areco and Santa Lucía.</p><p>By helping communities articulate and communicate spatial knowledge through workshops, enable the possibility to advocate for a change. That change result in a new direction on how the community and stakeholders can act towards a flood event. Analysing community-based maps of 85 adults, flood theoretical models can be evaluated and perhaps improved. Additionally, overall 287 students between 10 and 17 years old learned about cartography and interacted with poster maps during the workshops held in different schools.</p>

Abstract. The vulnerability of flood-prone areas is determined by the susceptibility of the exposed assets to the hazard. It is a crucial component in risk assessment studies, both for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. In this study, we analyse patterns of vulnerability for the residential sector in a frequently hit urban area of Milano, Italy. The conceptual foundation for a quantitative assessment of the structural dimensions of vulnerability is based on the modified Source-Pathway-Receptor-Consequence model. This conceptual model is used to improve the parameterization of the flood risk analysis describing: (i) hazard scenarios definition performed by hydraulic modelling based on past event data (Source estimation) and morphological features and land use evaluation (Pathway estimation); (ii) the exposure and vulnerability assessment which consists of recognizing elements potentially at risk (Receptor estimation) and event losses (Consequence estimation). The structural dimension of vulnerability is mapped at building level and used in loss estimation for the residential sector at meso and micro-scale. Results produces accurate estimates of the flood characteristics, with mean error in flood depths estimation in the range 0.2–0.3 m and provide a basis to obtain site-specific damage curves and damage mapping. Findings show that the nature of flood pathways varies spatially and is influenced by landscape characteristics and alters vulnerability spatial distribution and hazard propagation. At the mesoscale, the ‘Continuous urban fabric’ Urban Atlas 2018 land-use class with the occurrence of at least 80 % of soil sealing shows higher absolute damage values. At microscale, evidence demonstrated that even events with moderate magnitude in terms of flood depth in a complex urbanized area may cause more damage than it would expect.

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