ANNUAL/PROGRESS REPORT – APRIL 2017 EXPOSURE AND ADAPTIVE CAPACITY TO FLOODS: A Comprehensive Vulnerability Assessment of Rincon’s Neighborhoods Saylisse Dávila, PhD Associate Professor Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez Lourdes Medina, PhD Associate Professor Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
OBJECTIVES Table 1. Status of Project Objectives
1- Advance the understanding of the vulnerability to floods of Rincón’s neighborhoods. Accomplished: 95% Outcomes: Conceptual frameworks for the vulnerability dimensions of exposure and adaptive capacity were developed: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Feature selection methods and analyses on internal consistency were used to identify redundant vulnerability attributes in order to further simplify the vulnerability assessment and make it more appealing for emergency responders. 2- Characterize Rincón’s flood-prone zones in terms of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Accomplished: 85% Outcomes: Numerous data collection activities and interviews have been carried out in order to explain Rincón’s vulnerability to floods and use this data to fit the overall vulnerability index based on: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Data collection, data processing on the vulnerability attributes selected for the model, and model fitting for the adaptive capacity index is currently taking place. 3- Support emergency responders and strategic planners in the development of mitigation, response, and recovery strategies for floods. Accomplished: 85%