1. Програма за ТГС по ИПП България – Сърбия
Flood vulnerability assessment and mapping in upper Nishava Basin
Theoretical formulations
Vulnerability - characteristic of a system that describes its potential to be damaged.
Vulnerability can be considered a combination of sensitivity and value.
Vulnerability is characterized by three dimensions: economic, social and
environmental.
The economic dimension of vulnerability is the risk for the production, its distribution
and consumption.
The social dimension of vulnerability recognizes the vulnerability of people.
The emphasis is on thecoping capacity. Particularly vulnerable are the poor societies.
The environmental dimension of vulnerability recognizes the ecosystem or
environmental vulnerability or fragility. In case of environmental vulnerability, it is
important to understand how the various natural systems / ecosystems cope with and
recover from various dangers.
Basis for flood vulnerability mapping
As a basis for vulnerability mapping can be used cadastral maps of settlements,
agricultural cadastre maps, images from Google Earth and ortho-images of
potentially flooded areas. Fig.1
EUROPEAN UNION
Bulgaria – Serbia IPA Cross-border Programme
“Assessment of flood risk – a base for sustainable development in upper part of Nishava
catchment” Page 1

2. Програма за ТГС по ИПП България – Сърбия
Fig. 1. Cadastral map pf Gradine district, Republic of Serbia
Fig.2. Orthophoto of Dimitrovgrad Town, Republic of Serbia
EUROPEAN UNION
Bulgaria – Serbia IPA Cross-border Programme
“Assessment of flood risk – a base for sustainable development in upper part of Nishava
catchment” Page 2

3. Програма за ТГС по ИПП България – Сърбия
Fig.3. Image of Google Earth and potential flooding zones /Gradine district, Republic
of Serbia /
To obtain the most accurate map of potential flood areas we need to correlate
different sources such as Google Earth images and a cadastral map
EUROPEAN UNION
Bulgaria – Serbia IPA Cross-border Programme
“Assessment of flood risk – a base for sustainable development in upper part of Nishava
catchment” Page 3

4. Програма за ТГС по ИПП България – Сърбия
Fig. 4 Combination of lanscape image of Google Earth and a cadastral map, Gradine
district, Republic of Serbia
Vulnerability mapping
First step – determination of the land use categories located in potentially flood
hazardous zone
Five main categories are detemined:
1. urbanized; 2. agricultural; 3. forest; 4. protected areas; 5. harmed areas. In
each of these areas the law defines the specific purpose of land regulation stating
that it sets out detailed development plans (DDP). The five territorial types are
described on the basis of from CORINE 2006 information.
Step two – determination of vulnerability ratio of the objects in first, second and third
category for:
- road infrastructure
- technical infrastructure
- constructions
EUROPEAN UNION
Bulgaria – Serbia IPA Cross-border Programme
“Assessment of flood risk – a base for sustainable development in upper part of Nishava
catchment” Page 4

5. Програма за ТГС по ИПП България – Сърбия
- living estates and mixed building and social infrastructure
- hydrotechnical infrastructure
- production activities
- cultural monuments
- green areas
Flood vulnerability mapping in upper Nishava Basin /to Dimitrovgrad Town/
Figure 5. Vulnerability map of upper Nishava Basin (Google Earth image)
EUROPEAN UNION
Bulgaria – Serbia IPA Cross-border Programme
“Assessment of flood risk – a base for sustainable development in upper part of Nishava
catchment” Page 5

6. Програма за ТГС по ИПП България – Сърбия
Figure 6 land use categories in potentially flooded areas (Corine 2006
database)
EUROPEAN UNION
Bulgaria – Serbia IPA Cross-border Programme
“Assessment of flood risk – a base for sustainable development in upper part of Nishava
catchment” Page 6

7. Програма за ТГС по ИПП България – Сърбия
Figure 7 Detailed vulnerability assessment (based on cadastral map of
Dimitrovgrad Town , Gradishte district region)
Vulnerability ratio Степента на уязвимост от наводнения в потенциално
заливаемите площи е представена на Фиг.8.
...................
EUROPEAN UNION
Bulgaria – Serbia IPA Cross-border Programme
“Assessment of flood risk – a base for sustainable development in upper part of Nishava
catchment” Page 7