Mapping Urban Flood Exposure and Material Deprivation During The 2007 Floods in England

Flooding is and remains to be a serious hazard to human society, with about one in five people globally living within 1 in 100 year flood risk areas. Previous research shows that there are social and economic inequalities in flood exposure, with deprived groups often being more at risk. Exposure studies investi- gated a variety of socioeconomic characteristics over the years by overlaying social data with modelled flood hazard areas. New studies reveal, however, that there can be significant socioeconomic differences between populations in theoretical hazard zones, as predicted by flood models, and flooded areas during extreme events. Despite this, case studies are still rare and are mainly limited to the United States. This thesis explores how material deprivation differs between modelled and flooded areas during the 2007 floods in Gloucester and Kingston upon Hull in the United Kingdom. During this extreme event, more advantaged areas experienced more flooding, both inside and outside the modelled flood hazard zones. In Gloucester, more deprived areas were covered by the modelled hazard map but were not flooded during this event. This work sheds light on the importance of using both hazard models and maps of real events when studying flood exposure. Without considering how social and economic factors can interplay with exposure to natural hazards, disaster management strategies will not be able to protect all vulnerable groups.