A holistic and multi-stakeholder methodology for vulnerability assessment of cities to flooding and extreme precipitation events

Over recent years, the frequency and intensity of torrential rain and flooding events linked to climate change have been impacting on cities throughout the world. Adaptation to climate change must therefore be integrated into urban planning and coupled with sustainable urban development and conservation policies. To do so, a good understanding of the vulnerability of cities to these extreme events is necessary, lending special attention to the specifics of the different urban areas, such as historic city centres. In the present study, a vulnerability evaluation methodology is presented for cities against extreme rainfall and flooding, which follows a holistic and multi-stakeholder approach, integrating architectural, socio-economic, and cultural perspectives, that supports evidence-based decision-making for the sustainable development of the agents that intervene in the process. The MIVES method, based on a multiple criteria decision-analysis process and a CityGML-based data model are used for that purpose, with which a process for capturing, evaluating, and representing information in an objective, organized, and systematic way has been developed. These advantages are demonstrated through the application of that process to a case study in Donostia-San Sebastián (northern Spain), located on a river estuary in front of the sea, with a wide diversity of building styles.