A novel and comprehensive approach for understanding the social impacts of flooding: assessing social flood vulnerability and social flood risk in Denmark

Abstract

Abstract Flood risk assessment approaches have traditionally been dominated by measures of economic damage. However, the importance of understanding the intangible social impacts of flooding are increasingly being acknowledged. Social vulnerability indices have been constructed in diverse geographical contexts to understand differential susceptibility of different social groups to flood hazards. However, integrated assessments of social vulnerability, exposure, and hazard information are lacking. Here, we construct a national social vulnerability index (SVI) for Denmark and combine this with direct and indirect social exposure data and coastal flood hazard data to construct a national social flood risk index (SFRI). Results show the spatial distribution of social flood vulnerability and social flood risk in Denmark. Our work introduces a comprehensive flood risk modelling approach that explicitly considers the social impacts of flooding in all model components. Such an approach can facilitate a shift towards the implementation of more holistic and inclusive flood risk management and climate change adaptation planning approaches that are usable within the context of existing risk management frameworks such as the EU Floods Directive. We hope that introducing a comprehensive, socially-specific approach to flood risk assessment can help to mainstream social wellbeing, resilience, and justice as central considerations in decision making on flood risk management.