Social vulnerability and flood risk assessment using satellite remote sensing : a support for decision making in a changing climate scenario

Abstract

The aim of this research is to characterize social vulnerability and flood risk by means of satellite remote sensing as a support for decision makers in a context of climate change adaptation. The KULTURisk methodological framework was selected, which aims at assessing risk in monetary terms taking. It consider risk as a function of hazard, exposure and vulnerability and take into account coping and adaptive capacity. Each of these components have been considered with the aim of being characterized using remotely sensed data. For the hazard component, an innovative technique for flood mapping and flood depth estimation has been developed. The methodology is based on the multi-temporal statistical analysis of radar images for detecting changes between pre- and post-event images. From flood maps, depth is estimated using a high-resolution digital elevation model. In order to characterize exposure, an innovative technique of land cover classification has been used, which allowed the derivation of up to date land cover maps. Vulnerability has been tackled starting from land cover information and adding ancillary data concerning the economy and social aspect of the areas under investigation, Veneto and Malawi. Studying urban growth of the last 20 years, vulnerability indicators could be derived. Finally, flood risk has been assessed combining all the previous results. Future climate and socio-economic scenarios have been considered in order to assess the possible change in flood risk and possibly providing critical information for decision makers.