Spatial distribution of flood vulnerability index in Ardabil province, Iran

摘要

Abstract The occurrence and intensity of climatic and hydrologic extreme events, as indicators of climate change, are increasing in most parts of arid and semi-arid regions, including Ardabil province, Iran. Recent studies have revealed the need for the multidimensional assessment of flood disasters in this area. Consequently, this present study was conducted to provide comprehensive information on the flood vulnerability of 26 watersheds in Ardabil province. Here, six components, including meteorological, hydrological, physical-environmental, social, economic, and countermeasures, were computed at a watershed scale based on 19 different criteria. Finally, the flood vulnerability index (FVI) for each watershed was calculated. The results revealed the need for different management approaches for flood hotspots based on the vulnerability to the six components studied. The integrated FVI showed that 46.97%, 33.63%, 18.10%, 1.20%, and 0.10% of the province have very high, high, medium, low, and very low flood vulnerability, respectively. The spatial mapping also revealed that all study areas were under flood stress, except small parts in central, east, and north. The preliminary version of the flood vulnerability atlas is presented, which estimates the flood disaster risk throughout the province. In addition, the developed regional framework in this study also allows for more comprehensive and extensive dataset analysis.