Vulnerability of Coastal Cities on Rivers to Climate Change: Case Study of Surat
The main objective was to develop an integrated analytical framework for floods and disaster management strategy for urban areas in the background of a specific case study of the city of Surat. This is to assess the vulnerability of the city and its people to floods and to develop a procedure to incorporate climate change concern in the existing framework with a decision support system. It suggested adaptation actions that can make a city resilient to climate change induced vulnerability.
The objective of this study is to also assess the hydrological vulnerability of the people and the public infrastructure of Surat. The elements of infrastructure under consideration include buildings (schools, hospitals, slums, and industries) within and adjacent to the floodplains, roads, bridges, etc. An original systems approach is used in the study to gather and examine available data in order to develop an understanding of the relevant climatic effects and their interactions with infrastructure. For this, a hydrological model of the river is developed to assess the extent of inundation and water depths under various scenarios, which may arise due to climate change. An integrated hydraulic modelling system and spatial analysis software have been used in the study.
With information on the likely depth of flooding in different parts of the city, citizens and local administrators can take effective measures such as avoiding certain areas, building on stilts, providing shelters etc.