Evaluation of urban flood adaptability based on the InVEST model and GIS: A case study of New York City, USA

Flood risk has become a serious challenge for many cities, including New York City (NYC). Evaluating urban flood adaptability evaluation is crucial for regulating storm and rain risks. In this study, we proposed an integrated framework based on the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services (InVEST) model and Geographic Information System (GIS). First, the InVEST model was used to assess the water yield, soil conservation, and water quality purification in NYC. Second, the entropy weighting method was employed to determine the weights of indicators for computing the flood adaptability evaluation (FAE). Third, a spatial correlation of FAE was conducted and finally delineated the flood adaptability zones in GIS. The results show that: (1) The spatial distribution of FAE was uneven, high in the surrounding area and low in the center. (2) The Moran's I for FAE was 0.644, showing an overall positive spatial relationship of FAE. High-scoring clusters were located in the southeastern area while low-scoring clusters were in the northern, central, and southwestern areas. (3) The FAE in NYC can be divided into five categories: the lower-adapted zone (0.22–0.27), low-adapted zone (0.28–0.31), medium-adapted zone (0.32–0.36), high-adapted zone (0.37–0.43) and higher-adapted zone (0.44–0.50). These results of the study can provide evidence and recommendations for flood risk management in NYC and other cities worldwide.