Abstract:
This thesis explores the holistic approach to study the impact caused by the interruption of critical infrastructure due to urban flooding. Climate change, continual urban sprawl, and infrastructure development are the reasons for an urban flood’s intensification. The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) has forecasted the mean annual rise in temperature by 0.8 degrees to 1.0 degree for 2040 and 1.8 degrees to 2.2 degree for 2090 . With a change in average annual temperatures, the annual rainfall is predicted to change for the same period with an increased frequency of precipitation-related hazards such as flooding. Infrastructures such as transport networks, energy, water, and communication are susceptible to flooding. It is necessary to characterize the vulnerability of infrastructure and its resilience to flooding. In this research, the impact of flooding on critical infrastructure is studied within the Manawa Catchment in West Auckland. This study proposes a systematic structure to quantify the impact of disruption caused on infrastructure due to flooding. The structure encompasses hazard estimation, vulnerability assessment, and functionality assessment to identify the critical infrastructure at higher risk. The assessment of hazards, vulnerability, and functionality is mainly a qualitative analysis and based on history or events, literature studies, and newspapers. Furthermore, the direct and indirect impact of the dysfunctionality of the most vulnerable infrastructure is analysed. The impact is quantified in form of the number of people impacted, the time required for recovery, and the extent of the impact. The study shows that roads are the most vulnerable infrastructure among other critical infrastructures. The analysis of road networks incorporates network modelling using a Network analyst tool within the Aeronautical Reconnaissance Coverage Geographic Information System (ARC GIS). Thus, the framework proposed is based on both qualitative and semi-quantitative assessments.