Vulnerability Assessment to Heat Waves, Floods, and Earthquakes Using the MOVE Framework: Test Case Cologne, Germany

The MOVE framework was used in order to assess vulnerability toward heat waves, floods, and earthquakes in an urban area. It focused mainly on the social dimension of vulnerability for the smallest administrative unit within the City of Cologne (city quarters) with respect to heat waves and floods using specifically designed indicators. Reference is also made about the ecological dimension of flood risk of Cologne which is mainly relevant at the regional scale. Furthermore, the institutional vulnerability of different urban authorities dealing with risk reduction and risk governance is assessed with respect to the three hazards considered. The results derived from the spatial analysis of the social dimension of risk to heat waves and floods show different patterns of vulnerability mainly defined by the exposure and provide a first base of spatial information which could serve as a good communication tool of risk for several authorities in the Cologne Municipality. Ecosystems play a role at the river basin scale as risk in Cologne is related to land use and wetlands reclamation upstream but the environment and its services seem not to get much affected at the local, urban scale due to floods. Heat waves and earthquakes are less considered in risk governance processes compared to floods.