Climate Vulnerability Mapping at the City Level

Urban climate change adaptation and mitigation planning necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the complex structures and causes of present vulnerability, and how vulnerabilities may evolve over time. 1 In this way, meaningful policy options for adaptation and mitigation can be identified and prioritised, and appropriate capacity building initiatives can be implemented.2 In order to gain an intimate understanding of urban clan climate vulnerability, several assessment and examination methods can be employed. Vulnerability assessment and examination methods can vary in the unit of analysis (e.g., species or habitat), scale, investment, and the type of information that is incorporated. There is no single means to assess vulnerability and tools and methods used may vary based on the needs, resources, and priorities of the end user.3 Vulnerability mapping is a vulnerability assessment and examination method that helps adaptation planners identifying infrastructure, buildings, ecosystems and populations that are susceptible to climate vulnerability and other stressors.4

WHAT IS VULNERABILITY IN THE CONTEXT OF CITIES? Vulnerability refers to the physical characteristics and socio-economic composition of a city that determines its degree of resilience in the face of harm or perturbations.5 Variables that can influence a citys degree of vulnerability include; flood proneness (proximity to coast or river), land area, elevation, population density, percentage of persons living in poverty and quality of infrastructure.6

WHAT IS VULNERABILITY MAPPING? A vulnerability map demonstrates the specific location of people, properties and/or natural environments that are at risk of experiencing death, injury, pollution or other forms of destruction in the case of a potentially catastrophic occurrence.

HOW IS VULNERABILITY MAPPING TYPICALLY GENERATED? Maps are typically formulated together with information on diverse types of risks and are typically assembled with the assistance of a computer technology called geographic information systems (GIS) and/or digital land survey equipment. Vulnerability maps can also be created manually using satellite imagery, property boundaries, road maps or topographic maps.7

WHY SHOULD VULNERABILITY MAPPING BE INCLUDED IN URBAN CLIMATE ADAPTATION PLANNING? Vulnerability maps assist adaptation planners in identifying infrastructure, buildings, ecosystems and populations that are hot spots in terms of climate vulnerability and other stressors.8 The tool can also provide planners with an improved understanding of the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of swelling urban populations9

Learning Alliance on Climate Resilient Cities Module 1: Climate Vulnerability Mapping

 When combined with the development of scenarios considering diverse climatic conditions and impacts, such as landslide and/or floods due to the proximity of waterways, wetlands, and/or floodplains; vulnerability maps also provide planners with a means of assembling effective intervention strategies, as well as setting meaningful adaptation planning priorities.10

NEED FOR GREATER EMPHASIS ON URBAN VULNERABILITIES WITHIN ADAPTATION PLANNING In proceedings from the 2010 Global Forum, a comparative analysis was conducted on climate adaptation planning within 10 European, Asian and American cities. The analysis pointed to a concerning overall lack of vulnerability and risk analysis in case cities, particularly in terms of their use of vulnerability mapping tools. Accordingly, the study suggests a substantial lack of consideration for social and economic vulnerability to climate change within the adaptation planning of the examined cities. 11 3 CENTRAL QUESTIONS TO DETERMINE AND MAP CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY

(UnitedNationsDevelopmentProgramme,2010)

Learning Alliance on Climate Resilient Cities Module 1: Climate Vulnerability Mapping

 URBAN CLIMATE VULNERABILITY MAPPING METHODS: BEYOND LATIN AMERICA Metropolitan Coast Regions, Australia In order to capture diversity of potential climate change challenges and adaptation challenges, the following five areas of potential climate damage were selected by metropolitan regions according to local conditions; sea-level rise and coastal hazards, extreme heat and human health effects, extreme rainfall and storm water management, bushfire, as well as degradation of natural ecosystems and assets. These areas of potential damage were then developed into individual maps Spatial estimates of relative vulnerability were determined through the integration of various vulnerability indicators related to exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity, together with the five areas of potential climate change damage. Data was compiled in a geographic information system. Indicators were indentified through the development of a series of conceptual models which were informed by public literature on climate change impacts Geographic data was identified through a search of various data sources relevant to the indicators of conceptual models. Maps of the five areas of potential climate damage were subsequently combined into a net climate change relative vulnerability map12 Sorsogon City, Philippines City officials used a community climate vulnerability mapping technique, in conjunction with vulnerability assumptions created through climate change projections, as well as government agency and private research institutions risk assessments. Local peoples description of the intensification and increasing destructiveness of local typhoon and storm occurrences over the past decade, as well the reach of tidal flooding were documented using hand drawn community climate vulnerability maps Vulnerability maps also included local peoples identification of areas which areas have gradually disappeared due to rising sea levels and erosion Community climate vulnerability maps was recorded as evidence of local climate change vulnerabilities13 Gyeonggi, South Korea Vulnerability indicators for the city were organized according to exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity Exposure indicators focused on exposure to precipitation and temperatures, sensitivity indicators focused on geography/land use, demographic characteristics and infrastructure, while adaptive capacity indicators focused on economic capabilities, physical infrastructure, as well as social and institution capacity Data was collected through temperature and precipitation data during 1999-2008, as well as statistical and survey data14

Learning Alliance on Climate Resilient Cities Module 1: Climate Vulnerability Mapping


Bohle et. al. (1994). Climate Change and Social Vulnerability. Global Environmental Change 4 (1): 37-48. Olmos, Santiago (2001). Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change: Concepts, Issues, Assessment Methods. Prepared for the Climate Change Knowledge Network. Boshoven et.al.(2011). Integrating Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments into Adaptation Planning. Washington, D.C.: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 4 McCarney, P et. al. (2011). Cities and climate change. In C. Rosenzweig, W. Solecki, S. Hammer, & S. Mehrotra, Climate Change and Cities: First Assessment Report of the Urban Climate Change Research Network (pp. 249-269). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. 5 Mehrotra et.al. (2009). Framework for City Climate Risk Assessment, Fifth Urban Research Symposium Cities and Climate Change: Responding to an Urgent Agenda. Marseille, France: World Bank Commissioned Research. United Nations Development Programme. (2010). Mapping Climate Change Vulnerability and Impact Scenarios: A Guidebook for Sub-National Planners. New York: United Nations Development Plan.
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Edwards, J., Gustafsson, M., & Naslund-Landenmark, B. (2007). Handbook for Vulnerability Mapping: EU Asia Pro Eco Project, Disaster Reduction through Awareness, Preparedness and Prevention Mechanism in Coastal Setllements in Asia, Demonstration in Tourism Destinations. Swedish Rescue Services Agency.
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Balk, D et al. (2009). Mapping Urban Settlements and the Risks of Climate Change in Africa, Asia and South America. In Population Dynammics and Climate Change (pp. 80-103). New York, Lond: UNFPA, IIEED. O'Brien, K., Eriksen, S., Schjolden, A., & Nygaard, L. (2004). CICERO Working Paper: What's in a word? Conflicting interpretations of vulnerability in climate change research. Oslo, Norway: Center for International Climate and Environmental Research.
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Pelling, M. (2011). The Vulnerability of Cities to Disasters and Climate Change: A Conceptual Framework. In H. Brauch, U. Spring, C. Mesjasz, J. Grin, P. Kameri-Mbote, B. Chourou, et al., Coping with Global Environmental Change, Disasters and Security (Vol. 5, pp. 549-558). Hexagon Series on Human and Environmental Security and Peace. Balk, D et al. (2009), pp 93 McCarney, P et. al. (2011) Vrolijks, L., Spatafore, A., & Mittal, A. S. (2011). Local Sustainability: Comparative Research on the Adaptation Strategies of Ten Urban Climate Plans. In K. Otto-Zimmermann, Resilient Cities: Cities and Adaptation to Climate Change Proceedings of the Global Forum 2010 (pp. 193-203). New York: Springer Science Business Media.
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Preston, B., Smith, T. F., Brooke, C. G., Measham, T. G., Withycombe, G., Beveridge, B., et al. (2008). Climate Change Vulnerability Mapping as a Stakeholder Engagement Tool: Case Study from Sydney Australia. Florida: Sydney Coastal Councils Group, Inc. Blake, R. et al. (2011). Urban climate: Processes, trends, and projections. In C. Rosenzweig, W. Solecki, S. Hammer, & M. S, Climate Change and Cities: First Assessment Report of the Urban Climate Change Research Network (pp. 43-81). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Koh, J. (2010). Assessing Local Vulnerability to Climate Change and its Implications: the case of Gyeonggi-Do. Gyeonggi: Gyeonggi Research Institute.
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Learning Alliance on Climate Resilient Cities Module 1: Climate Vulnerability Mapping