GIS-Based Model for Urban Flood Assessment: An Approach to Assess Urban Fragility and Risk

This study introduces the concept of “urban fragility” as an approach to assess the vulnerability of urban areas to flood risk. Recognizing the increasing frequency and intensity of urban floods, accelerated by climate change and urbanization, the research employs a GIS-based model to examine the interconnected social, economic, and environmental dimensions of urban flood risk. The findings underscore the importance of a comprehensive understanding of these dimensions in urban planning and disaster management, offering actionable insights for the development of tailored strategies to improve cities’ capabilities to mitigate flood risk. A significant overlap emerges as 92.81% of high-poverty areas coincide with high flood-risk zones. Additionally, economic fragility analysis highlights that 53.58% of commercial and 44.92% of industrial activities are concentrated in high flood-risk areas. This approach contributes significantly to the discourse on flood resilience, highlighting the potential of GIS-based models in creating more resilient urban landscapes.