Spatial Approach to Assess Multidimensional Vulnerability to Urban Flooding: A Proposal for Indicators

Abstract

This study introduces a methodology for evaluating vulnerability to urban flooding across different dimensions, by employing spatial data analysis. The methodology consists of four steps: (1) selection of indicators that reflect the vulnerability of an urban area, (2) normalization of the data for each selected indicator across all dimensions, (3) assignment of weights for each indicator and dimension, and (4) mapping and classification using spatial analysis, resulting in a regular grid. This study proposes a comprehensive list of 31 potential indicators for quantifying vulnerability, with each indicator falling under one of the five dimensions (social, economic, environmental, physical, and institutional) and three components of vulnerability (exposure, susceptibility, and resilience), which are part of Step 1. Additionally, the methodology is complemented by a data generation and spatial analysis technique for Step 4. The proposed methodology can serve planners and policymakers to make objective decisions, based on vulnerability quantification, considering each dimension separately, as well as integrating with each other, using a multidimensional and spatial representation of flood risk vulnerability.