Towards Urban Resilience: A Multi-Criteria Analysis of Seismic Vulnerability in Iasi City (Romania)

Alexandru Banica, Lucian Rosu, Ionel Muntele and Adrian Grozavu
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Alexandru Banica: Faculty of Geography and Geology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iasi 700505, Romania
Lucian Rosu: Faculty of Geography and Geology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iasi 700505, Romania
Ionel Muntele: Faculty of Geography and Geology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iasi 700505, Romania
Adrian Grozavu: Faculty of Geography and Geology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Iasi 700505, Romania

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 2, 1-17

Abstract: When relating to hazards such as earthquakes, a primary task of a resilience approach is to evaluate vulnerability in an integrative manner by taking into account the most relevant indicators. Focused on Iasi, one of the major Romanian cities which are exposed to the earthquakes originating in Vrancea area, this study aims to assess seismic vulnerability using a multi-criteria analysis of buildings infrastructure and social vulnerability. Several indicators are taken into account, such as physical (related to the characteristics of buildings and terrain) and social indicators (related to population and economic income), as well as the accessibility from/to emergency services/hospitals. The indicators were processed by standardization (Z score), processed and correlated using the principal components analysis (PCA) and integrated within an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). By summing the weighted values of the standardized indicators, a (integrated) seismic vulnerability index was obtained. It is a pre-assessment of the seismic vulnerability in Iasi City and also a prerequisite for the identification of the necessary prevention measures to be taken in compliance with the identified spatial patterns of vulnerability as a part of a resilient approach.

Keywords: seismic vulnerability assessment; multi-criteria analysis; Iasi City (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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