Assessment of the Climate Environmental Vulnerability Index for Urban Settlements on the Mediterranean Coast: A Case Study in Sicily

Abstract

Climate change poses a severe environmental crisis where many European urban centers face increased risks, among others, of flooding and/or water scarcity due to intense rainfall and prolonged droughts. Urgent adaptation measures are required to enhance resilience in urban, peri-urban, and agricultural areas against extreme weather events. This article describes a method for categorizing urban areas based on climate-related risks as a targeting and prioritization system for allocating climate resilience measures in cities. The method allows for calculating a climate vulnerability index value, considering temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, population density, altitude, and urban area. Focused on the Mediterranean region, particularly Sicily, the index application generates quantifiable vulnerability values for urban settlements, enabling comparison and prioritization. The reproducible and scalable method provides a valuable tool for urban analysis beyond the Mediterranean and can facilitate decision-making processes to initiate future studies and projects.