Flood vulnerability analysis and risk assessment using analytical hierarchy process

Abstract

Paschim medinipur is one of the backward as well as highly flood prone district in the state of West Bengal, India. For many reason, the most frequent choice should be protection from the flooding by means of physical control of river. Though it is not possible to control the flood disaster totally. To minimize the flood damages analysis of flood vulnerability and risk assessment is an important strategy. For this work some physical and social variables has been selected who’s potential to be harmed during the time of floods. While hazards are a potential threat to population and environment, risk is interplay between hazard and vulnerability. To evaluate the vulnerability analysis and risk assessment of flood, analytic hierarchy process and weighted linear combination has been used to functionalize the conceptual model within a GIS framework. To delineate the flood risk zones a composite vulnerability index map has been prepared which is accomplish with Physical Vulnerability Index, Social Vulnerability Index and Coping Capacity Index. Analysis revealed that 24.25% of the population lives in high to very high flood risk zones. Almost 17.76% of mud houses which are severe damage by floods located in high to very high risk zones.