GIS-based methodology for prioritization of preparedness interventions on road transport under wildfire events

Abstract

Climate change is leading to a rise in the occurrence and intensity of wildfires, exacerbated by the growing encroachment of communities into the natural environment, posing challenges to our global capacity to respond to wildfires. During wildfire events, road transport infrastructure becomes crucial for the evacuation of people and accessibility to an emergency by first responders. Nevertheless, resilience management of transportation infrastructure affected by wildfires is poorly considered, despite its relevant role and high exposure to wildfires. Therefore, this study proposes a new methodology to estimate the priority level for wildfire preparation by combining exposure and criticality of road transportation infrastructure to wildfire hazards with consideration of different wildfire categories. The analysis is conducted at the system level considering interdependencies and redundancies among infrastructure components and using a geographic information system (GIS) to automate the modelling process and visualization of results. The proposed methodology is applied to a case study in the Leiria region of Portugal, demonstrating its utility in prioritizing economic resources and decision-making for areas requiring preparation. This approach can serve as a resilience-based tool for decision-making, supporting the implementation of effective adaptation strategies to enhance wildfire resilience.