 An Approaches on Physical Vulnerability Assessment (Methodological Review)

Physical vulnerabilities, sometimes called biophysical vulnerability, refers to the

degree of susceptibility within the physical environment and such as to the negative
impacts of hazards (Fuchs, 2018). In recent decades, there has been a significant increase
in the frequency, intensity, and magnitude of flood events in different parts of the world.
One of the cost-effective ways to manage and adapt to floods are through a flood risk
assessment, this could be conducted by analyzing the probability of flood occurrences
(hazard) and its (vulnerability) potential consequences (Kaoje et al. 2021) Physical
vulnerability is understood as the combination of the predisposition of the exposed
elements to suffering damage and the potential of natural hazards to cause damage (Leal,
2021). Physical vulnerability is directly connected to monetary loss and interruptions
that are in the centre of the interests of several stakeholders including governments,
authorities, insurance companies, engineers, and homeowners (Papathoma-Kohle 2022).

To attain and assess the physical vulnerability, the methods of (Kappes, 2014)
uncovers a theme that the importance of considering both hazard-specific vulnerability
and user-specific vulnerability can be adapted to the specific needs of different
stakeholders, it proposes and serve as an indicator-based approach to assess physical
vulnerability. According to the study of (Aditi et al. 2019) vulnerability curves,
vulnerability matrices and vulnerability indicators are the three most used methods for
assessing physical most vulnerability. These approaches are based on general
assumptions and each approach manifests some pros and shortcomings. A study of
(Mazzorana et al. 2014) reveal that three steps of the necessary five analytic steps to
accurately assess the physical vulnerability of the built environment: Process modelling,
Impact modelling and Structural and physical response modelling. A supporting study of
(Brody, 2015) also indicates that Bivariate correlation and multivariate regression
analyses are used to identify and explain the most important indicators shaping individual
risk perception towards physical vulnerability.

Physical vulnerability assessment supports evaluation of economic losses,

analysis of physical resilience cost–benefit analysis, risk assessment for future system
scenarios and decision-making by stakeholders responsible for hazard protection through,
e.g. resource allocation (Malgwi, 2020). Poor and low-income people in urban areas live
in houses with materials of low durability against disaster and weak or vulnerable areas
such as informal settlement areas, rivers boundaries, power transmission lines, and slope
regions, which in case of natural disasters such as floods and typhoons, have very high
vulnerability compared with other urban dwellers (Aliabadi, 2015). Assessing
vulnerability based on physical and socioeconomic processes can lead to enhancement of
community resilience through socioeconomic empowerment and strengthened adaptive
capacity can play a vital role in flood disaster management (Ali et al. 2016).