Supporting metropolitan Venice coastline climate adaptation. A multi-vulnerability and exposure assessment approach

Urban planning for adaptation to Climate Change (CC) requires cognitive frameworks developed through the use of new spatial technologies and open-source databases. The significant and most innovative aspect concerns the use of these technologies to monitor and assess the degree of resilience to CC under conditions of vulnerability and risk. Based on these premises, this paper explores a new methodology for the analysis of climate vulnerability, exposure, and risk through multicriteria assessment techniques, testing its validity in the case study of the coastal municipality of Jesolo, Venice (Italy). The paper considers three main weather-climate impacts (Urban Flooding, Coastal Flooding, and Urban Heat Island). The methodology identifies georeferenced data that can better describe the multi-impact overlap. In a second step, the research identifies criteria characterized by multi-attributes and spatializes the analysis in a GIS environment. In a third stage, intersectoral and multilevel vulnerability conditions are combined on different spatial scales. The analysis methodology is based on open source data (from Open Street Map) to build local exposure information layers. Exposure combined with spatial vulnerability conditions allows the generation of multi-hazard mapping. Testing a spatial multi-hazard climate assessment can guide planning and public decision-making by directing adaptation actions. This approach operationally supports local governments in implementing Climate Adaptation Planning (CAP) by updating and integrating spatial planning, management, and regulatory models. The research process presented aims to activate stakeholder engagement processes within municipalities to discuss the actual perceived risk. In this sense, the tool allows supporting mainstreaming processes with citizens to identify best practices and solutions to be adopted in the areas indicated by risk mapping.