An indicator-based GIS approach for assessing a community's vulnerability to mobility-related disruptions caused by floods

Abstract

Assessing vulnerability in the road transport sector has received extensive attention because of the increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters such as floods. Communities' vulnerability to mobility-related disruptions is an area that has received less attention in developing countries. Given the higher vulnerability in developing countries and their contextual differences, this study aims to fill this scholarly gap by examining how vulnerability changes spatially and what makes regions vulnerable through a multidimensional approach. This approach consists of several dimensions, including road infrastructure, user functional, and socio-demographic aspects, to assess the community's exposure and susceptibility to mobility disruptions, which are combined to determine overall vulnerability. This study spatially assesses vulnerability in the Western Province of Sri Lanka using weighted liner combination modelling and multivariate cluster analysis. This study found three main clusters with higher exposure close to the rivers in this Province as a key determinant of the spatial pattern of vulnerability. Further, this assessment demonstrated how the inclusion of susceptibility results in an observable difference in the overall spatial pattern of vulnerability. Using cluster analysis, this research especially highlights the practical importance of cluster-specific solutions derived based on the uniqueness of the vulnerability determinants in each cluster. The proposed method helps to develop place-based vulnerability and risk reduction strategies and emergency management interventions rather than implementing a centralised approach.