Spatial Analysis of Vulnerability to Flooding in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Nigeria

This study analyzed the vulnerability to flooding in Port Harcourtmetropolis, Nigeria, by creating vulnerability indices and comparing these indicesacross the 13 zones that make up Port Harcourt metropolis. The integrated vulnerabilityassessment approach using indicators was adopted. The indicators were grouped intoadaptive capacity, sensitivity, and exposure based on the Intergovernmental Panel onClimate Change definition of vulnerability. The data on these indicators were obtainedfrom fieldwork, questionnaire, and map measurements. Principal component analysis wasperformed to obtain the first component scores which were used to weight the variablesbefore calculating the vulnerability indices of the 13 zones. The vulnerability indicesresults show that Mgbuosimiri (Zone K) is relatively the most vulnerable, whereas theleast vulnerable is Eligbolo (Zone D). Cluster analysis was used to group the differentvulnerability indices to produce a vulnerability map showing the spatial pattern of thedifferent flood vulnerability levels (i.e., very high, high, low, and very lowvulnerability levels). The spatial pattern of the vulnerability levels increases towardthe north west, south west, south, and north east, and decreases toward the central ofPort Harcourt. However, the vulnerability map can be used for the reduction of damagepotential by integrating its outputs into spatial planning and emergencyplanning