Physical resilience of riverside cities against floods

Human societies today pay attention to natural disaster control more than ever, yet floods are still among destructive hazards. Researchers are constantly seeking solutions to mitigate the damages associated with floods and increase urban resilience against them. This study explored the assessment of urban physical resilience to floods, rapid recovery from flood shocks, and enhancement of urban functioning over time. This was an applied study using a descriptive-analytical method. The research population consisted of experts in urban affairs. First, the research variables and indices were extracted through the theoretical foundations, and then, validity testing was used to identify the most effective indicators. A review of the research literature showed a lack of consensus on a coherent model for flood damage assessment across different urban zones and the identification of effective indices. Therefore, HEC-GeoRAS (a program for inundation mapping) was used for flood Vulnerability zoning of the Cheshmeh Kileh River Region, Based on this, three zones Vulnerable to floods were determined. The proposed model and its algorithms are structured based on GIS statistical modeling, which accurately zones the urban fabric around the river based on Vulnerability severity and accurately identifies vulnerabilities. This model did not follow the current methods that limit river buffer zones to two categories inside and outside the river's buffer zone; rather investigated the zones based on the Vulnerability severity of urban cover classes (e.g., roads and buildings). The research findings suggest that the conditions of the existing buffer zone deviate from those recommended by the modeling results. Meanwhile, a historical analysis of floods shows that the affected areas match those identified by the software. In all studied zones, the primary cause of the Vulnerability is the absence of surface water drainage networks, non-standard constructions, and road network-related restrictions, which exacerbate the crisis conditions. The existence of large area (coarse-grained) plots can be considered a point of strength in all zones, which presents an opportunity to modify the urban fabric in the future.