Measurement of urban flood resilience using a quantitative model based on the correlation of vulnerability and resilience

Abstract

With global climate change and increasing urbanization, extreme weather events such as urban floods are rapidly increasing. Flood resilience, the key to improving the ability of cities to cope with flood disasters, is highly related to flood vulnerability. Currently, most studies tend to assess flood resilience from economic, social and environmental dimensions, without quantitatively analyzing the feedback relationships between various elements of resilience. Some studies involving resilience models fail to completely reflect various time periods of resilience. Aim of this research is to develop a quantitative model from perspective of the correlation of vulnerability and resilience to achieve quantitative assessment of urban flood resilience. Firstly, multi-dimensional relationships between flood vulnerability and resilience was analyzed, and conceptual model was developed using an improved entity relationship diagram (E-R diagram), furtherly establishing a quantitative model of urban flood resilience that considers recovery capacity in post-disaster. Secondly, quantitative assessment of urban flood resilience of 16 districts in Beijing was implemented through the quantitative model and integrated weight method based on indicator system. The following results are obtained: the influence of different factors on flood resilience, the characteristics of elements of resilience and the characteristics of pre-disaster, mid-disaster and post-disaster reflected by them, as well as spatial variation in flood resilience. In addition, recovery capability plays an important role in flood resilience.