Development of Vulnerability Evaluation Technology for Environmental Facilities Focused on the Water Treatment Systems in South Korea

Abstract

This study developed a vulnerability evaluation framework for earthquake and flood disasters targeting water treatment facilities. The vulnerability evaluation framework of a water treatment facility determines vulnerability evaluation factors such as exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity in consideration of the characteristics of an environmental facility. At this time, vulnerability evaluation items are derived in consideration of topography, natural environment, hydraulic, structural, and non-structural characteristics by analyzing the facility. The vulnerability evaluation items consist of 24 for earthquake disasters, and for the flood disaster derived 20 indicators. Then the final vulnerability of disaster is determined by considering the impact of each item. To verify the vulnerability evaluation framework proposed in this study, the technology was applied to a real water treatment facility in Korea. The proposed technique would be able to make a plan to prevent natural disasters damage and minimize such damage to the environmental facility. © 2023 by the authors.