Risk Mapping of Healthcare Infrastructure Exposed to Urban Pluvial Flooding in Indian Cities

Abstract

With the increasing vulnerability of communities and infrastructure to climate variability, and extreme weather events (EWEs), losses to life and property have increased manifold, indicating the low resilience, lack of preparedness, and absence of safety measures for communities and buildings.

The vulnerability of the populace escalates further due to uneven distribution of operational and functional healthcare infrastructure, with certain areas suffering more due to the absence or ill-function of health facilities. Owing to the interlinkage of critical infrastructure, the collapse/dysfunction of one of these can lead to inaccessibility and low reliability of others, with consequent losses and trauma.

The research focuses on urban pluvial floods (UPFs), and assesses the impacts healthcare infrastructure in Indian cities through literature survey and case studies. Risk factors for urban healthcare infrastructure are identified based on literature and observations, and have been categorised into internal and contextual risk factors. These risk factors are categorised into structural, societal, environmental, and contextual aspects. Consequently, general risk mitigation strategies have been proposed.

The paper presents a critical commentary on the skewed healthcare infrastructure availability and attempts to initiate a methodology for potential resolution of the risks posed to the infrastructure and medical facilities available for vulnerable communities.