Evaluating Climatic Vulnerability of Saskatchewan’s Road Network Through Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) and Equal Weighting Approaches
摘要
This study assesses the climatic vulnerability of Saskatchewan’s road network by examining how six climate-related factors—minimum and maximum temperature, rainfall, wind, snow, and flooding—affect infrastructure sustainability. Using Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation and remote sensing, a composite risk index was developed with equal weighting for each factor. The resulting map classified road segments into five risk categories, revealing that approximately 3,800 km (14%) fall within high or very high-risk zones, mainly in southern and central regions. The spatial analysis highlights region-specific exposure and the influence of uniformly weighted variables on identifying vulnerable infrastructure. This framework offers a simplified, transparent approach to climate risk assessment, supporting spatial decision-making for infrastructure planning, asset management, and climate adaptation.