A comprehensive approach for assessing social flood vulnerability and social flood risk: The case of Denmark

Abstract

Flood risk assessment approaches have traditionally been dominated by measures of economic damage. However, the importance of understanding the social impacts of flooding are increasingly being acknowledged. Social vulnerability indices have been constructed in diverse geographical contexts to understand relative susceptibility of different social groups to flood hazards. However, integrated assessments of social vulnerability, exposure, and hazard information are lacking. Here, we construct a national social vulnerability index (SVI) for Denmark and combine this with direct and indirect social exposure data and coastal flood hazard data to construct a national social flood risk index (SFRI). Results show the spatial distribution of social flood vulnerability and social flood risk in Denmark. Our findings illustrate that including social data in flood risk assessment could significantly change our understanding of flood risk on a national scale. Methodologically, our work introduces a comprehensive flood risk modelling approach that explicitly considers the social impacts of flooding in all model components. The application of this model in Denmark reveals that the social impacts of flooding extend far beyond flooded areas, thus highlighting the importance of explicitly considering direct and indirect social exposure in addition to social vulnerability in flood risk assessment. By introducing a comprehensive, socially specific approach to flood risk assessment that is usable within existing risk management frameworks such as the EU Floods Directive, our work aims to mainstream social wellbeing, resilience, and justice as central considerations in decision making on flood risk management.