An overview to flood vulnerability assessment methods
---
paper_title: Risk and vulnerability indicators at different scales: Applicability, usefulness and policy implications

paper_content:

Abstract This paper outlines selected approaches to measuring risk and vulnerability to hazards of natural origin using indicators and indices. It discusses their applicability, usefulness and policy implications. Indicators and indices have been developed on different scales and for different purposes. The paper will briefly introduce three global approaches to disaster-risk identification and will juxtapose them with one local approach in order to examine the differences concerning the functions and the purpose of the assessment as well as their impact for policy development. In contrast to an earlier comparative analysis of the three global disaster-risk indicator programmes by Mark Pelling in 2004, which focused primarily on the methodologies used, this paper places more emphasis on aspects of applicability and policy implications and outlines challenges and limitations of the different approaches. Since the assessment and mapping of human vulnerability is less developed than hazard assessment work [P...
---
paper_title: Social Vulnerability to Environmental Hazards

paper_content:

County-level socioeconomic and demographic data were used to construct an index of social vulnerability to environmental hazards, called the Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI) for the United States based on 1990 data. Copyright (c) 2003 by the Southwestern Social Science Association.
---
paper_title: Waterlogging and flood hazards vulnerability and risk assessment in Indo Gangetic plain

paper_content:

The recurrent flooding during monsoon and subsequent waterlogging in the northern Bihar plains and the magnitude of losses due to these hazards indicate the continuing vulnerability of the region to flood and waterlogging. Management of floods and waterlogging hazards in highly flood-prone regions of India, including Bihar state has been largely response oriented with little or no attention to mitigation and preparedness. This paper presents a method for spatial, Geographic Information Systems-based assessment of flood and waterlogging vulnerability and risk in northern Bihar plains. Multitemporal satellite data was used to evaluate the area statistics and dynamics of waterlogging over the period from 1975 to 2008. The flood proneness is evaluated at district level with reference to flood inundation during a period from 1998 to 2008. Census data were used to examine the socio-economic characteristics of the region through computation of population density, cultivators, agricultural labourers, sex ratio, children in age group 0–6 years and literates. The geohazard map derived by combining area prone to waterlogging and flood inundation was multiplied with socio-economic vulnerability map to derive the flood-waterlogging risk map of the region. The result shows that flood and water-logging pose highest risk to the central districts in the northern Bihar plains with 50.95% of the total area under high and very high risk. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010
---
paper_title: Flood Risk Management: Hazards, Vulnerability and Mitigation Measures

paper_content:

Preface. Acknowledgement. Part 1. Flood risk management. Flood risk management - a basic framework J. Schanze.- Part 2. Flood hazard modelling. A European perspective on current challenges in the analysis of inland floods risks P.G. Samuels.- Hydro-informatics' tool in practice ,,before - during - after' August 2002 flood on Vltava and Elbe catchments - Czech Republic J. Spatka et al. Experiences in application of HEC-RAS model under circumstances of flood waves S. Kovacs et al. Study of possible flooding in the chemical factory as a basis for flood management plan improvement M. Luka et al. Flood risk mapping and mitigation in central Italy S. Pagliara. On the choice of spatial interpolation method for the estimation of 1- to 5-day basin average design precipitation S.Kohnova et al. Regional climate change - To be included in future flood risk analysis? Chr. Bernhofer et al.- Part 3 Flood forecasting. Application of EO data on flood forecasting for the Crisuri basin, Romania G. Stancalie et al. Flood forecasting in the Crisul Alb and Crisul Negru basins using GIS data base R.P. Mic et al. Flood monitoring using on-line support system for spatial information management V. Craciunescu et al. Flood forecasting concept for Turkey: Technical and organisational aspects Th. Einfalt.- Part 4. Vulnerability and flood damages. Flood damage, vulnerability and risk perception Challenges for flood damage research F. Messner and V. Meyer. Flood risk assessment in the Netherlands with focus on the expected damages and loss of life A. Roos and B. Jonkman.- Part 5. Mitigation measures. Flood Protection in the Tisza River basin Z. Balint and S.Toth. Management strategies for flash floods in Saxony, Germany E. Precht et al. Red River flooding - mitigation planning in an international river basin D. LeMarquand. Overview of US National Flood Insurance Program B. Juza. Strategies for flood risk management A processperpective G. Hutter.- Part 6. Historical floods and transboundary issues. Historical and recent floods in the Czech Republic: Causes, seasonality, trends and impacts R. Brasdil et al. Historical 2002 flood in central Europe and flood defence recent floods in the Czech Republic: Causes, seasonality, trends and impacts V. Jirasek. The flood in August 2002 - Consequences of flood protection for the City of Dresden Chr.Korndorfer. Flood risk in cities of Belarus: Specific cases and problems of management T.I. Kukharchyk. NATO Science for Peace Project on management of transboundary floods in the Crisul-Koros River system J. Marsalek. April 2002 flood in the Crisul Aib River basin Transnational co-operation Rom-Hun for flood mitigation O. Streng et al.- Part 7. Conclusions. Conclusion of the Advanced Research Workshop J. Schanze et al.- List of participants. Index.
---
paper_title: A EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE ON CURRENT CHALLENGES IN THE ANALYSIS OF INLAND FLOOD RISKS

paper_content:

Flooding poses a threat to many millions of the citizens of Europe. In the Netherlands more than half of the population live below mean sea level. In the UK about 10% of the population lives in areas of flood risk; and in Hungary about a quarter of the population live on the floodplain of the Danube and its tributaries. Although the greatest loss of life in Europe in recent decades occurred from the 1953 North Sea floods, which caused about 2500 deaths across the UK, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, flooding remains the most widely distributed natural hazard in Europe leading to significant economic and social impacts. Concentrations of fatalities in river floods are associated with flash flooding events, such as Vaison-la-Romaine (1992), and the mudflows at Sarno (1997). Recent internationally and nationally significant floods have occurred, for example, in Slovak Republic (1993 and 1997), the Czech Republic (1997, 1998 and 2002), Poland and Germany (1997, 2002), Britain (1998, 2000), Austria (1991, 1997, 1999, 2002), Eastern Slovakia and Hungary (1998 and 2001) and France (2002 and 2003). Flooding, however, is not just a European problem but a key facet of global water management. For example, Wang and Plate (2002) discuss the recent situation in China and White (2001) describes the international issues on flooding in rivers as presented as part of the World Water Vision at the Hague conference on water in March 2000.
---
paper_title: Vulnerability assessments and their planning implications: a case study of the Hutt Valley, New Zealand

paper_content:

An understanding of vulnerability is not only crucial for the survival of the exposed communities to extreme events, but also for their adaptation to climate change. Vulnerability affects community participation in hazard mitigation, influences emergency response and governs adaptive capacity for the changing environmental and hazards characteristics. However, despite increased awareness, assessments and understanding of the processes that produce vulnerability, disaster risks prevail. This raises questions on the effectiveness of vulnerability assessments and their applications for hazard mitigation and adaptation. The literature includes a range of vulnerability assessment methods, wherein frequently the selection of any particular method is governed by the research objectives. On the other hand, hazard mitigation plans and policies even though mention vulnerability, their implementation pays less attention to the variations in its nature and underlying causes. This paper explores possible reasons for such gaps by exploring a case study of the Hutt Valley, New Zealand. It brings out the limitations of different vulnerability assessment methods in representing the local vulnerability and challenges they bring in planning for the vulnerability reduction. It argues that vulnerability assessment based on any particular method, such as deprivation index, principle component analysis, composite vulnerability index with or without weight, may not reveal the actual vulnerability of a place, and therefore, a comprehensive vulnerability assessment is needed.
---
paper_title: Spatial and temporal analysis of urban flood risk assessment

paper_content:

Urban flood risk assessment requires quantification of uncertainty that is spatially and temporally variable. This paper presents a new approach to urban flood risk assessment by: (a) integrating objective and subjective uncertainties and (b) providing full insight into spatial and temporal change of flood risk. A 1-D storm sewer model and a 2-D surface flow model are integrated to describe the dynamic interactions between overland flow on the streets and flow through the storm sewer network. The fuzzy set theory approach is used to assess spatial and temporal variability of urban flood damage, and the acceptable level of partial flood damage. The spatial and temporal variability of fuzzy performance indices: (i) combined reliability-vulnerability; (ii) robustness and (iii) resiliency, are generated as the outcome of the urban flood risk analysis. The methodology is illustrated using the residential community of Cedar Hollow (London, Ontario, Canada) as a case study.
---
paper_title: Urban flood disaster management

paper_content:

Flood impact is one of the most significant disasters in the world. More than half of global flood damages occur in Asia. Causes of floods are due to natural factors such as heavy rainfall, high floods and high tides, etc., and human factors such as blocking of channels or aggravation of drainage channels, improper land use, deforestation in headwater regions, etc. Floods result in losses of life and damage properties. Population increase results in more urbanization, more impervious area and less infiltration and greater flood peak and runoff. Problems become more critical due to more severe and frequent flooding likely caused by climate change, socio-economic damage, population affected, public outcry and limited funds. Flood loss prevention and mitigation includes structural flood control measures such as construction of dams or river dikes and non-structural measures such as flood forecasting and warning, flood hazard and risk management, public participation and institutional arrangement, etc. This paper describes concepts, policy, plan and operation on integrated urban flood disaster and risk management. In most developing countries, flood disaster management activities are handled by government. Participation of nongovernmental agencies and private sectors are very limited. Activities are exercised rather independently without proper coordination or integration. Flood disaster management in developing countries is mostly reactive responding to prevailing disaster situations (emergency response and recovery). Reactive response should be changed to proactive response to increase effectiveness of management and reduce losses of life and properties. Proactive disaster management requires more participation from various governments, non-governmental and private agencies and public participation. It involves more effort and time, more budget, equipments, facilities and human resources which leads to integration of flood disaster management for both long term and short term activities. Strategic framework on integrated flood disaster management includes four cyclic steps namely: 1) preparedness before flood impact such as flood forecasting and warning; 2) readiness upon flood arrival; 3) emergency responses during flood impact and; 4) recovery and rehabilitation after flood impact. Examples on urban flood disaster and risk management in Thailand are illustrated and discussed. Conclusions and recommendations for further improvement are provided.
---
paper_title: Non-structural flood mitigation measures for Dhaka City

paper_content:

Abstract After the disastrous flood of 1988, Dhaka Integrated Flood Protection Project (DIFPP) was undertaken as a part of the national Flood Action Plan (FAP). However, DIFPP focused primarily on the structural measures for flood damage mitigation. When the city was hit by another major flood in 1998, it became evident that non-structural measures contributed significantly to flood damage reduction. This paper explores existing and proposed non-structural measures as a part of the long-term flood mitigation strategies for Dhaka City. The options examined in this paper include flood forecasting and warning, preservation of retention ponds, land use planning, flood zoning, emergency services, shelters, flood proofing, flood fighting and post-flood rehabilitation measures. Moreover, experiences from 1998 flood indicate that coordination between agencies responsible for flood protection and drainage of the city can significantly reduce the flood damage.
---
paper_title: Development of a method for assessing flood vulnerability.

paper_content:

Over the past few decades, a growing number of studies have been conducted on the mechanisms responsible for climate change and the elaboration of future climate scenarios. More recently, studies have emerged examining the potential effects of climate change on human societies, including how variations in hydrological regimes impact water resources management. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's third assessment report, climate change will lead to an intensification of the hydrological cycle, resulting in greater variability in precipitation patterns and an increase in the intensity and frequency of severe storms and other extreme events. In other words, climate change will likely increase the risks of flooding in many areas. Structural and non-structural countermeasures are available to reduce flood vulnerability, but implementing new measures can be a lengthy process requiring political and financial support. In order to help guide such policy decisions, a method for assessing flood vulnerability due to climate change is proposed. In this preliminary study, multivariate analysis has been used to develop a Flood Vulnerability Index (FVI), which allows for a comparative analysis of flood vulnerability between different basins. Once fully developed, the FVI will also allow users to identify the main factors responsible for a basin's vulnerability, making it a valuable tool to assist in priority setting within decision-making processes.
---
paper_title: Reducing the complexity of the flood vulnerability index

paper_content:

The current flood vulnerability index (FVI) methodology developed by the authors uses 71 indicators in its calculation. However, it is recognized that some of these indicators may be redundant or have no influence on the results. This paper presents the results of analysis carried out to select the most significant indicators in order to establish parsimonious usage of the FVI. As with the original methodology, this is applicable at three different spatial scales (river basin, sub-catchment and urban) and to the various components of flood vulnerability (social, economic, environmental and physical). For the FVI methodology to be sustainable, improvements were made by analysing the indicators' relevance and by studying the main indicators needed to portray reality of the fluvial floods in an effective way. For this purpose, mathematical tools (a derivative and a correlation method) and expert knowledge (via a questionnaire) were used. Finally, all these methods were combined in order to select the most si...
---
paper_title: Review and Quantitative Analysis of Indices of Climate Change Exposure, Adaptive Capacity, Sensitivity, and Impacts

paper_content:

The present invention provides an energy polymerizable composition comprising at least one epoxy monomer or at least one vinyl ether monomer and an initiation system therefor, the initiation system comprising at least one organometallic complex salt and at least one stabilizing additive. The cured composition provides useful articles or coated articles.
---
paper_title: An attempt to link risk assessment with land use planning: a recent experience in Italy

paper_content:

Shows a framework to assess urban and regional vulnerability. Starting from the first attempts to measure the vulnerability component of risk (the latter given as the combination of hazard and vulnerability) which have been carried out in Italy but which considered only single buildings, the method used until now is broadened to take into account also the vulnerability of the subsystems which are part of regional systems as well as social and economic vulnerabilities. Some important parameters have been identified to evaluate these vulnerabilities, and put in a framework which aids the assessment of overall regional and urban vulnerability. According to the authors’ opinion such a framework can be very useful in addressing planners’ and public administrators’ decisions both on preventive strategies and during the preparation of reconstruction plans. This framework has been applied to a small seismic settlement in Lombardy, Toscolano Maderno.
---
paper_title: How inequitable is the global distribution of responsibility, capability, and vulnerability to climate change: A comprehensive indicator-based assessment

paper_content:

Abstract While it is generally asserted that those countries who have contributed least to anthropogenic climate change are most vulnerable to its adverse impacts some recently developed indices of vulnerability to climate change come to a different conclusion. Confirmation or rejection of this assertion is complicated by the lack of an agreed metric for measuring countries’ vulnerability to climate change and by conflicting interpretations of vulnerability. This paper presents a comprehensive semi-quantitative analysis of the disparity between countries’ responsibility for climate change, their capability to act and assist, and their vulnerability to climate change for four climate-sensitive sectors based on a broad range of disaggregated vulnerability indicators. This analysis finds a double inequity between responsibility and capability on the one hand and the vulnerability of food security, human health, and coastal populations on the other. This double inequity is robust across alternative indicator choices and interpretations of vulnerability. The main cause for the higher vulnerability of poor nations who have generally contributed little to climate change is their lower adaptive capacity. In addition, the biophysical sensitivity and socio-economic exposure of poor nations to climate impacts on food security and human health generally exceeds that of wealthier nations. No definite statement can be made on the inequity associated with climate impacts on water supply due to large uncertainties about future changes in regional water availability and to conflicting indicators of current water scarcity. The robust double inequity between responsibility and vulnerability for most climate-sensitive sectors strengthens the moral case for financial and technical assistance from those countries most responsible for climate change to those countries most vulnerable to its adverse impacts. However, the complex and geographically heterogeneous patterns of vulnerability factors for different climate-sensitive sectors suggest that the allocation of international adaptation funds to developing countries should be guided by sector-specific or hazard-specific criteria despite repeated requests from participants in international climate negotiations to develop a generic index of countries’ vulnerability to climate change.
---
paper_title: Vulnerability assessments and their planning implications: a case study of the Hutt Valley, New Zealand

paper_content:

An understanding of vulnerability is not only crucial for the survival of the exposed communities to extreme events, but also for their adaptation to climate change. Vulnerability affects community participation in hazard mitigation, influences emergency response and governs adaptive capacity for the changing environmental and hazards characteristics. However, despite increased awareness, assessments and understanding of the processes that produce vulnerability, disaster risks prevail. This raises questions on the effectiveness of vulnerability assessments and their applications for hazard mitigation and adaptation. The literature includes a range of vulnerability assessment methods, wherein frequently the selection of any particular method is governed by the research objectives. On the other hand, hazard mitigation plans and policies even though mention vulnerability, their implementation pays less attention to the variations in its nature and underlying causes. This paper explores possible reasons for such gaps by exploring a case study of the Hutt Valley, New Zealand. It brings out the limitations of different vulnerability assessment methods in representing the local vulnerability and challenges they bring in planning for the vulnerability reduction. It argues that vulnerability assessment based on any particular method, such as deprivation index, principle component analysis, composite vulnerability index with or without weight, may not reveal the actual vulnerability of a place, and therefore, a comprehensive vulnerability assessment is needed.
---
paper_title: Data and processes linking vulnerability assessment to adaptation decision-making on climate change in Norway

paper_content:

Abstract The article focuses on the use of climate change vulnerability assessments in a local decision-making context, with particular reference to recent studies in Norway. We focus on two aspects of vulnerability assessments that we see as key to local decision-making: first, the information generated through the assessments themselves, and second, the institutional linkages to local level decision-making processes. Different research approaches generate different types of data. This is rarely made explicit, yet it has important implications for decision-making. In addressing these challenges we propose a dialectic approach based on exchange, rather than integration of data from different approaches. The focus is on process over product, and on the need for anchoring vulnerability assessments in local decision-making processes. In conclusion, we argue that there is unlikely to be one single ‘correct’ assessment tool or indicator model to make vulnerability assessments matter at a local level.
---

Title: An Overview to Flood Vulnerability Assessment Methods
Section 1: Introduction
Description 1: Introduce the aim of the paper and present the context and importance of flood vulnerability assessment.

Section 2: Flood Vulnerability and Risk Management
Description 2: Discuss the relationship between flood vulnerability and risk management, including different types of floods and management approaches.

Section 3: Structural and Non-structural Measures for Flood Mitigation
Description 3: Describe the structural and non-structural measures involved in flood mitigation and protection, as well as activities before and after a flood event.

Section 4: Methods of Flood Vulnerability Assessment
Description 4: Introduce various flood vulnerability assessment methods and categorize them into four distinct groups.

Section 5: Vulnerability Indicators Method
Description 5: Examine the vulnerability indicators method, its theoretical framework, variables, methodology, and challenges.

Section 6: Vulnerability Curve Method
Description 6: Discuss the vulnerability curve method, its basis on empirical data, and its limitations.

Section 7: Disaster Loss Data Method
Description 7: Explore the disaster loss data method, its simplicity, and inaccuracies due to unevenly recorded data.

Section 8: Modeling Methods
Description 8: Analyze the modeling methods using computer models to assess flood vulnerability and their dependence on detailed data.

Section 9: Strengths and Weaknesses of Each Method
Description 9: Compare the strengths and weaknesses of the four assessment methods to provide insight into their applicability for policy-making.

Section 10: Conclusion
Description 10: Summarize the findings of the paper, emphasizing the importance of improving vulnerability measurement and discussing the complexities involved in different methods.