Earthquake vulnerability assessment in Northern Sumatra province by using a multi-criteria decision-making model

The prerequisite for earthquake risk estimation is vulnerability assessment. Therefore, estimating vulnerability is necessary to reduce future fatalities. This study aims to evaluate the earthquake vulnerability assessment (EVA) in Banda Aceh by using the multi-criteria decision-making approach through an analytical hierarchy process and VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje method using a geographical information system. Banda Aceh City is located close to the Great Sumatran Fault in North Sumatra. Several factors were used to produce social vulnerability, structural vulnerability, and geotechnical vulnerability indices. Subsequently, the adopted approaches were integrated and applied to estimate the criteria weight, priority ranking, and alternatives of criterion by applying the pair-wise comparison at all levels. Finally, vulnerability layers were superimposed to estimate the earthquake vulnerability index and produce the vulnerability map. Results showed that the central part of the city exhibits high to very high vulnerability. A tiny part of the northern–central part is under severe vulnerability conditions. The consistency ratios for all three vulnerability layers were 1.9%, 4.6% and 5.5%. The consistency ratios for the final EVA was 1.9%. The developed map revealed that 3.39% of Banda Aceh City falls under very high, 11.86% high, 23.73% medium, 28.82% low, and 32.20% of very low vulnerability areas. The proposed method for the EVA provides useful information that could assist in earthquake disaster mitigation.