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Risk-Based Analysis of the Vulnerability of Urban Infrastructure to the Consequences of Climate Change

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Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience

Abstract

This chapter gives an introduction to risk-based vulnerability assessment of urban infrastructure regarding the consequences of climate change, by describing an approach developed as part of the EU-funded research and innovation project Climate Resilient Cities and Infrastructures. The approach is modular, widely applicable, and supported by a suite of software tools. It guides practitioners and end-users through the process of risk-based vulnerability assessment of urban systems, including built-up areas and (critical) infrastructure. How the approach can be adapted to and applied in a local context is demonstrated via its exemplary application in case studies with the four European cities Bilbao (Spain), Bratislava (Slovakia), Greater Manchester (United Kingdom), and Paris (France). Essential concepts for risk and vulnerability assessments and the current state of the art from related research projects are discussed before a detailed description of the developed approach and its supporting tools is given.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Source: UNEP brochure “Global Initiative for Resource Efficient Cities”

  2. 2.

    The RESIN project's working definitions are mostly standardised definitions and can be found in [8, 9].

  3. 3.

    See RESIN tool page at http://www.resin-cities.eu/resources/tools/

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank their partners in the RESIN consortium for their valuable contributions during the development and test process. This paper is based in part upon work in the framework of the European project “RESIN – Climate Resilient Cities and Infrastructures”.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 653522. The sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. It does not necessarily represent the opinion of the European Union. Neither the EASME nor the European Commission are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

Without the great role model called ``The Vulnerability Sourcebook'', developed by GIZ and Eurac, IVAVIA would certainly have looked quite different. We would like to thank Till Below (GIZ) and Stefan Schneiderbauer (Eurac) as representatives of the numerous colleagues in their organizations who have created the Sourcebook in 2014. We are also grateful for the repeated collaboration and exchanges between GIZ and Eurac and RESIN partner Fraunhofer since 2016, which contributed to shaping both the Sourcebook supplement and the IVAVIA Guideline document.

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Rome, E. et al. (2019). Risk-Based Analysis of the Vulnerability of Urban Infrastructure to the Consequences of Climate Change. In: Gritzalis, D., Theocharidou, M., Stergiopoulos, G. (eds) Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience. Advanced Sciences and Technologies for Security Applications. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00024-0_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00024-0_4

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