Multidimensional Approach for Tsunami Vulnerability Assessment: Framing the Territorial Impacts in Two Municipalities in Portugal

Abstract

This study presents a new multidimensional methodology for tsunami vulnerability assessment that combines the morphological, structural, social, and tax component of vulnerability. This new approach can be distinguished from previous methodologies that focused primarily on the evaluation of potentially affected buildings and did not use tsunami numerical modeling. The methodology was applied to the Figueira da Foz and Vila do Bispo municipalities in Portugal. For each area, the potential tsunami-inundated areas were calculated considering the 1755 Lisbon tsunami, which is the greatest disaster caused by natural hazards that ever occurred in Portugal. Furthermore, the four components of the vulnerability were calculated to obtain a composite vulnerability index. This methodology enables us to differentiate the two areas in their vulnerability, highlighting the characteristics of the territory components. This methodology can be a starting point for the creation of a local assessment framework at the municipal scale related to tsunami risk. In addition, the methodology is an important support for the different local stakeholders.

Indicators in risk management: Are they a user-friendly interface between natural hazards and societal responses? Challenges and opportunities after UN Sendai conference in 2015

“…The hazard indicators related to coastlines are: geomorphology, erosion rate, sediment budget [55,59], coastal slope, as well as elevation and distance to the sea [56,57,58]. In addition, the indicators of coastal storm hazards are: storm waves effects [55], distance to sea [56,58], relative sea-level rise, mean tidal range, mean significant wave height [57], depth and extent of inundation and overwash [59], highest storm surge level, exceeding value of warning water level, and average slope of the storm surge landfall position [61]. Finally, hazard indicators could be even more specifically constructed, such as indicators of shoreline (the previous high tide high-water level, the wet/dry line or run-up maxima) [60].…”

“…On the other hand, the vulnerability indicators are social and demographic [55 -58], related to building and tax assessment [58], land use and cover [55,58], artificial beach nourishment and beach control structures [57], and finally experience and perception of risk, as well as the household and communal risk adaptation strategy [56].…”

Analysis of vulnerability assessment frameworks and methodologies in urban areas

“…The social (64), physical (57) and economic (54) facets were the most examined ones. On the contrary, psychological (Salami et al 2017), technical (Sadeghi-Pouya et al 2017, taxation (Tavares et al 2017), ecological (Römer et al 2012;Ahmed and Kelman 2018), cultural (Jackson et al 2017;Ahmed and Kelman 2018) and historical (Aragon-Durand 2007; Jackson et al 2017) aspects were less considered. Demographic, environmental and institutional issues were assessed 20, 19 and 7 times, respectively.…”

Long-term land-use changes in small/medium-sized cities. Enhancing the general trends and local characteristics

“…ASspeed of urbanization in the study area TA n+itotal study area to be calculated at the time point i + n UA n+i and UA isurfaces with urban fabric and infrastrutures in the target unit at time i + n and i nnumber of years in each period 1985/1995; 1995/2011, for a total of 27 classes of land use (Table 3). This type of analysis has been applied by a wide range of authors, in the most diverse settings (Barros, Tavares, & Santos, 2015;Schmidtlein, Deutsch, Piegorsch, & Cutter, 2008;Tavares, Barros, & Santos, 2016;Zhang, Wu, & Shen, 2011). The analysis was carried out for the three cities.…”