A GIS-Based Index of Physical Susceptibility to Flooding as a Tool for Flood Risk Management

Francis Miranda (), Anna Beatriz Franco, Osvaldo Rezende, Bruno B. F. da Costa (), Mohammad Najjar, Assed N. Haddad and Marcelo Miguez
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Francis Miranda: Programa de Engenharia Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-909, Brazil
Anna Beatriz Franco: Programa de Engenharia Civil, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-450, Brazil
Osvaldo Rezende: Programa de Engenharia Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-909, Brazil
Bruno B. F. da Costa: Instituto Politécnico, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Macaé 27930-560, Brazil
Mohammad Najjar: Programa de Engenharia Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-909, Brazil
Assed N. Haddad: Programa de Engenharia Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-909, Brazil
Marcelo Miguez: Programa de Engenharia Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-909, Brazil

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 7, 1-22

Abstract: The identification and classification of flood-prone areas comprise a fundamental step in the Flood Risk Management approach, providing subsidies for land use planning, floodproofing policies, the design of mitigation measures and early warning systems. To address this issue, a frequently used preliminary tool is the flood susceptibility mapping of a region using a range of widely available data. Therefore, the present study introduces an index-based approach able to qualitatively assess flood-prone areas, named Physical Susceptibility to Floods Index (PhySFI), based on a multi-criteria decision-making method and developed in a GIS environment. The methodology presupposes a critical discussion of variables commonly used in other flood indexes, intending to simplify the proposed representation, and emphasizes the role of the user/modeler. PhySFI is composed of just four indicators, based on physical parameters of the assessed environment. This index was developed and first applied in the city of Rio de Janeiro, as part of the Rio de Janeiro Climate Change Adaptation Plan. The validation process was based on a comparative analysis with flood extent and height simulated by the hydrodynamic modeling of four watersheds within the study area, with different urbanization processes for each one. The results indicate that the index is a powerful preliminary tool to assess flood-prone areas in coastal cities.

Keywords: flood risk management; MCDM; GIS; flood susceptibility mapping (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:7:p:1408-:d:1193187

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