Incorporating Wider Infrastructure Disruption in Urban Flooding Resilience Investments

Resilience planning for critical infrastructure (CI) is essential for mitigating disruptions caused by natural hazards, particularly in flood-prone urban areas. This research explores the application of resilience concepts, CI interdependency models, and quantitative assessment frameworks to enhance infrastructure resilience. A key focus is developing holistic methodologies integrating hydrological modelling, spatial network analysis, and CI vulnerability assessments to improve flood resilience planning. The study reviews resilience assessment methodologies, highlighting the widespread use of qualitative resilience indicators in policymaking while emphasising the underutilisation of quantitative models due to their complexity. It underscores the need for accessible, data-driven tools incorporating interdependency modelling to assess cascading infrastructure failures effectively. Using Auckland’s infrastructure network as a case study, the research develops and applies a structured framework to analyse CI dependencies, demonstrating how disruptions in one system propagate across transportation, energy, water, and telecommunication networks. The study integrates flood hazard assessments with infrastructure vulnerability analysis to advance flood resilience planning. GIS-based spatial analysis maps flood-prone infrastructure, prioritising at-risk assets based on exposure and interconnectivity. A culvert criticality framework assesses infrastructure failure risks, ensuring flood resilience strategies account for cascading disruptions. Monte Carlo simulations enhance the framework’s predictive capability, enabling probabilistic risk assessments that inform targeted resilience investments. Hydraulic performance assessments evaluate CI capacity under future climate scenarios and urban development projections. Findings highlight the growing vulnerability of infrastructure due to intensifying flood hazards and urban expansion. The study proposes a decision-support framework integrating criticality assessments and hydraulic performance evaluations, offering a structured approach to prioritising resilience investments. Applied in Auckland’s Whau Catchment, the framework successfully identifies infrastructure components contributing to past flood disruptions, demonstrating its practical relevance in urban resilience planning. This research advances resilience assessment methodologies by bridging theoretical models and practical applications. By integrating CI interdependencies, flood hazard modelling, Culvert Criticality and Culvert Performance risk assessments, the study provides decision-makers with a comprehensive tool for strategic infrastructure planning. The findings contribute to prioritising resilience investment strategies, emphasising the need for proactive, data-driven adaptation to climate change and urban growth.

Name thesis:degree_name

PhD

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

ResearchSpace@Auckland

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Al Riyami, Fahad

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Shamseldin, Asaad
• Wotherspoon, Liam
• Zorn, Conrad

• Critical Infrastructure
• Flooding Resilience
• Disruption
• Resilience Investments
• Infrastracture dependency

Statement dc:rights

• Items in ResearchSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/docs/uoa-docs/rights.htm

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2292/74279

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:researchspace.auckland.ac.nz:2292/74279