Geospatial Approaches to Enhancing Urban Flood Resilience in Auckland, New Zealand: Implementation of Innovative Mitigation Strategies

Abstract

Flooding is a major threat to urban resilience, particularly in rapidly urbanising coastal cities like Auckland, New Zealand, where urban growth and climate shifts increase flood risks. This study addresses the gap in integrating multi-criteria decision-making tools with Geographic Information System to enhance flood resilience strategies. A novel combination of the Analytic Hierarchy Process and spatial analysis was used to develop a high-resolution flood susceptibility model, analysing seven key factors, including slope, land use, rainfall intensity, and drainage density. The results show that 16% of Auckland is highly susceptible to flooding, 63% moderately susceptible, and 21% at low risk. The model, validated against historical flood data, demonstrated 82.98% accuracy. These findings offer actionable insights for urban planners, enabling dynamic floodplain management and real-time decision support systems. This research provides a framework for sustainable urban planning and disaster mitigation, advancing both theoretical and practical approaches to flood resilience.