Assessing area vulnerability to natural hazards: Case study of floods

Abstract

An approach to assessing the vulnerability of areas to floods is discussed. An algorithm for assessing the vulnerability is suggested and a set of parameters required is identified. An urban-landscape site is taken as a basic elementary unit for the assessment of area vulnerability. The difference in the indices of natural resource potential before and after the event is taken as an integral characteristic for vulnerability assessment. The proposed approach can be used for assessing the vulnerability to flooding of both urban and natural systems.