GIS based mapping of vulnerability to earthquake and fire hazard in Dhaka city, Bangladesh

As Dhaka city is at risk of earthquake and fire hazard, ward 29, an old part of Dhaka city has been selected for vulnerability assessment of both hazards in this study and social vulnerability has been included in the assessment as it has become an important issue in the recent years. The methodology of three different vulnerability assessments and the way of combining the results of the assessments to develop composite vulnerability score of the study area has been described. A sample of 350 buildings has been analyzed by a visual screening method FEMA-RVS for earthquake, a methodology developed by ADPC [1] for fire hazard and a methodology developed by World Bank [24] for social vulnerability. The composite vulnerability score has been developed by incorporating earthquake and fire hazard as well as social vulnerability condition of the study area and represented in form of map produced using ArcGIS 10 showing buildings of different vulnerable categories. The study area is relatively more vulnerable to fire hazard than earthquake. As it is one of the most densely populated wards in Dhaka city, social factors have compounded the overall vulnerability to higher scale. Most of the buildings are vulnerable to both earthquake and fire hazard considering social impacts. Thus ideal mitigation planning to reduce risk is almost impossible here without involvement of community people. By warning them of their own risk and making them resilient through awareness programs and training, disaster risk in the study area can be reduced effectively.