A methodology for flood susceptibility and vulnerability analysis in complex flood scenarios

TLDR

Flood risk management is increasingly important, making the analysis of flood risk components a key research focus. This study proposes a large‑scale methodology for assessing flood susceptibility and vulnerability. The method uses a mathematical index that incorporates local topography and basic flood scenario data to generate maps and curves ranking susceptibility and enabling vulnerability analysis, and was tested in two Northern Italian flood plains. Results demonstrate that the approach yields novel and valuable insights into flood susceptibility and vulnerability processes.

Abstract

Abstract Nowadays, flood risk management is gaining importance in order to mitigate and prevent flood disasters, and consequently the analysis of flood risk components is becoming a key research topic. In this paper, we propose a methodology for large‐scale analysis of flood susceptibility and vulnerability. The methodology is based on a mathematical index, which considers local topography and basic information about the flood scenario to reproduce flooding processes. Its application allows for considering different levels of complexity of flood scenarios, from localized flood defence failures to complex hazard scenarios involving river reaches. The methodology synthesizes the spatial distribution of the index values into maps and curves that can be used to rank the susceptibility and implement a vulnerability analysis in the area of interest. The components of the methodology are tested in two flood plain areas in Northern Italy recently affected by floods. The results show that the methodology can provide an original and valuable insight of flood susceptibility and vulnerability processes.