An Analytical Assessment of Urban Resilience Dimensions in Response to Flood Occurrences and Urban Street Flooding (A Case Study: Tabriz Metropolitan Area)

Problem Statement: Cities are complex systems that are inherently vulnerable to hazards. The dominant contemporary approach in disaster management emphasizes enhancing resilience rather than merely reducing risks. Resilience is a relatively new concept, particularly relevant in addressing uncertainties and unknowns, and has become a central theme in modern urban management discourse.
Objective: The primary objective of this study is to examine and analyze various dimensions of urban resilience against flooding in the metropolitan city of Tabriz.
Methodology: This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical with a correlational approach in nature. A survey method was employed, and data were collected using a researcher-designed questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using correlation and regression tests.
Findings: The results indicate that 27 sub-basins surrounding Tabriz significantly influence the city’s physical structure. Additionally, 64 locations across different areas of Tabriz are consistently exposed to flooding and surface water accumulation. The findings reveal an inverse relationship between the extent, frequency, and magnitude of flooding events and various dimensions of urban resilience. In other words, as runoff volume and flood occurrences increase—along with their frequency throughout the year—urban resilience decreases across multiple dimensions. This relationship is more pronounced in the social and infrastructural dimensions, which may be attributed to the vulnerability of local communities and the ضعف of urban infrastructure in coping with flood-related crises and other hazards.
Conclusion: Based on the results, it can be concluded that resilience levels in different districts and neighborhoods of Tabriz are relatively high in the social and infrastructural dimensions, but low in institutional, physical, and environmental dimensions. Consequently, during flooding events and urban waterlogging, the physical structure of the city becomes more vulnerable. Overall, the findings demonstrate that flooding and surface water accumulation significantly affect various dimensions of urban resilience in Tabriz; however, this impact is neither balanced nor integrated.