A Tool for Assessing and Surveying Building Vulnerability in Algeria

Due to the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters, popu-lation growth, and the necessity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cities should prioritise building resilience and sustainability in a multi-hazard perspective. This paper provides a tool for surveying and evaluating the buildings’ integrated vulner-ability in Algeria, considering seismic, landslide and flood hazards and energy effi-ciency concerns. The framework for its development consists of three main steps. First, the susceptibility to the different hazards and energy consumption has been assessed for the entire nation. Second, vulnerability factors, values and scores have been identified for traditional, masonry and reinforced concrete buildings. Third, the Delphi methodology was employed, selecting a panel of local and interna-tional researchers to weigh each factor, thus allowing the computation of the indi-vidual vulnerability indices. Quantifiable indices measure the building’s vulnera-bility, guiding stakeholders in selecting effective retrofitting alternatives that avoid potential conflicting effects. Combining these indices with the different hazard levels permits evaluating which vulnerability should be prioritised for renovation and new design projects. A demonstration of the tool application is provided for a cultural heritage located in the village of M’Chouneche in the Biskra province.