Revealing social vulnerability profiles for urban flood management: the case of Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

Abstract

The inhabitants of the city of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, suffer significant damage every year due to floods, which constitute a major risk for the country. To mitigate the impact of these phenomena, a good understanding of the criteria involved in the vulnerability of populations is necessary. This article sets out to analyse the populations of Ouagadougou’s vulnerability to floods, with the objective of drawing up and spatially representing the social vulnerability profile of populations. It is part of phase 2 of the Raincell Africa project, which aims to understand the social vulnerability of Sahelian populations to the risks of urban flooding. The study is based on a quantitative approach developed by means of a socio-demographic survey of 2137 households in the city of Ouagadougou. Statistical processing of the survey data using factor analysis and Hierarchical Agglomerative Clustering revealed eight vulnerability profiles in the city. The spatial distribution of these profiles indicates greater vulnerability in the margins of the city, characterized by unplanned settlements. This high exposure of informal settlements to flooding is linked to socio-demographic characteristics such as the level of education, risky behaviours in terms of urbanization and the populations’ false perception of danger. These elements must necessarily be taken into account for better flood management.