Integrating Critical Infrastructure Networks into Flood Risk Management

Critical infrastructure (CI) networks are essential for the survival and functionality of society and the economy. Disruptions to CI services and the cascading effects of these disruptions are not currently included in flood risk management (FRM). The work presented in this study integrates CI into every step of FRM, including flood risk analysis, risk mitigation and risk communication. A CI network modelling technique enables the flood consequences for CI to be quantified as part of the flood risk analysis. The CI consequences derived from this analysis include spatial overviews and the temporal succession of CI disruptions. The number of affected CI end-users and the duration of the disruption are arranged in a risk matrix and in a decision-making matrix. Thus, the total flood risk is extended with CI consequences. By integrating CI and CI network characteristics into the flood risk assessment and the mitigation steps, a wider range of measures for action can be considered. Additionally, the continuous participation of CI operators is introduced as beneficial for every step of the FRM. A case study in Accra, Ghana proves the benefits of CI integration for all FRM steps. During participatory CI stakeholder engagements for this study six CI sectors were identified for the assembly of the CI network. The backbone of the analysis is a multisectoral, layered CI network model with 433 point elements, 1216 connector elements and 486 polygon elements.