An Evaluation of Factors Influencing the Resilience of Flood-Affected Communities in China

Abstract

In recent years, the acceleration of urbanization processes coupled with more frequent extreme weather including more severe flood events, have led to an increase in the complexity of managing community flood resilience. This research presents an empirical study to explore the factors influencing community flood resilience in six communities located in the Hubei Province of China. The study presents the development of a flood resilience evaluation index system, comprising the use of the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and interpretative structural modeling method (ISM) methods. The results show that the three most important factors affecting the flood resilience capacity of the community are (i) the investment in disaster prevention, (ii) disaster relief capacity and (iii) flood control and drainage capacity. The differences between the six communities were analyzed across four dimensions to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the communities across these dimensions and in terms of their overall resilience. By analyzing the causal hierarchical relationship that affects community flood resilience, this study helps to enhance community resilience to flood disasters and reduce disaster risk. These findings are conducive to enhancing the sustainable development of urban communities and are expected to provide scientific guidance for community risk management and strategic decision-making.