Work

Land-Use and Flood Risk Assessment Under Uncertainty: A Monte Carlo Approach in Hunan Province, China

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Climate change and rapid urbanization are intensifying flood risks in China, particularly in regions with complex terrain and dense populations. Traditional risk assessment methods often lack the flexibility to handle uncertainties in multi-dimensional risk systems. This study proposes a probabilistic flood risk assessment framework integrating Monte Carlo simulation with a composite indicator system from the perspective of disaster system theory. Taking Hunan Province as a case study, we constructed a hierarchical indicator system encompassing environmental susceptibility, hazard intensity, exposure vulnerability, and mitigation capacity. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and coefficient of variation (CV) methods were combined for indicator weighting, and Monte Carlo simulation was employed to quantify uncertainties and classify risk levels. Results reveal significant spatial heterogeneity in flood risk across the province, with high-risk areas concentrated in regions exhibiting intense rainfall, dense river networks, and insufficient mitigation infrastructure. The study provides a transferable, data-driven approach for spatially explicit flood risk zoning, offering evidence-based insights for land-use planning, resilient infrastructure development, and sustainable flood governance. This research contributes to the integration of probabilistic modeling into land system science, supporting disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation strategies aligned with SDG 11. This study also provides policy-relevant insights for regional flood governance by supporting risk-informed land-use planning, targeted infrastructure investment, and adaptive flood management strategies, thereby contributing to more resilient and sustainable land system development under increasing climate uncertainty.

Source: Land

DOI: 10.3390/land15040541

Authors: Qiong Li, Xinying Huang, Fei Pan, Qiang Hu, Xinran Xu

Institutions: East China University of Science and Technology, Guangzhou University

Language: English

Topic: Flood Risk Assessment and Management

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Climate action, Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137