Investigating the potential of a comprehensive analysis of individual behaviors during urban floods: evidence from the city of Bari (southern Italy)

<jats:p>Climate change is increasing the need to enhance urban resilience to flood risk, particularly with regard to impacts on individuals. Over the past decades, several approaches have been proposed to address this challenge, many of which have focused on the implementation of structural measures aimed at reducing flood hazard. At the same time, growing awareness has emerged regarding the importance of understanding individual risk perception and knowledge of protective measures, as people's behavior during flood events can act as a risk amplifier.Within this context, a systematic analysis of people's actions when interacting with floodwaters can provide valuable insights into the wide range of behavioral dynamics occurring during flood events. Despite the opportunities offered by such investigations, flood research still tends to focus primarily on affected individuals, namely those who are injured or killed. However, these represent only a subset of all people involved in a flood event, as most individuals who interact with floodwaters experience no significant physical consequences (i.e., unharmed individuals).Building on a survey administered to citizens to investigate the perception of flood-prone landmarks and the actions they would undertake in four emergency scenarios, this study compares these responses with the results of a systematic analysis of flood events and associated human behaviors during urban floods that affected the city of Bari (southern Italy) between 2004 and 2020. The findings reveal a strong correspondence between perceived flood-prone landmarks and actual flooded locations. Moreover, the comparison between observed behaviors during flood events and responses to the emergency scenarios provides valuable insights into people's decision-making processes. The results suggest that incorporating the analysis of human behaviors, including hazardous actions, into flood event catalogues can represent a significant source of information for emergency management and the communication of protective measures.</jats:p>