Analyzing Vietnam's national disaster loss database for flood risk assessment using multiple linear regression-TOPSIS

Abstract

Flood vulnerability is increasing in Vietnam due to rapid population growth, urbanization, and industrial development. Although there has been a significant increase in studies on flood risk assessments at the local scales in Vietnam, there remains a lack of tools developed for use at the national scale. In response to this need, we sourced and analyzed flood damage data from 1989 to 2015 in Vietnam's national disaster database in order to assess the flood risk of Vietnam's regions and provinces. The study proposes a new approach, multiple linear regression-TOPSIS, to analyze the disaster data. Our findings show that the North Central Coast is the most vulnerable region, followed by the Mekong Delta. Nghe An province has the highest flood risk score while Ho Chi Minh city has the lowest flood risk. This assessment tool provides accessible risk information for decision-makers and planners to classify the most at-risk areas and has practical implications for flood risk management at the national and local scales. The study also provides a new method for analyzing Vietnam's national disaster database, which may suggest potential applications for disaster loss databases in other countries and regions.