Vulnerability assessment in urban areas exposed to flood risk: methodology to explore green infrastructure benefits in a simulation scenario involving the Cañaveralejo River in Cali, Colombia

Abstract

Building resilient infrastructure is one of the major challenges faced by cities due to increasing urbanization rates and climate change. Furthermore, the application of vulnerability assessment frameworks is a significant challenge that requires the appropriate tools for decision makers. This text analyses an ongoing green infrastructure (GI) project in the city of Cali, Colombia, by presenting the assessment methodology and identifying the main benefits and vulnerability reduction possibilities resulting from the intervention. The main objective of this research focuses on (1) assessing the impact of flood risk in urban areas using GIS techniques; (2) mapping and quantifying vulnerability reduction due to the intervention in a simulation scenario; and (3) exploring the feasibility of GI projects as a tool for decision-making processes.