Integrating Flood Risk Reduction Strategies into Municipal Land-Use Planning: A Comparative Study of Turin (Italy) and Astana (Kazakhstan)

The topic of this thesis is to describe a comparison analysis of the geological and hydrological features of two different cities that have almost identical structural planning, but still differ in climate conditions and geographical locations. The main attention is focused on the comprehensive examination of flood characteristics, seasonal river level rises, and possible scenarios of overflowing the main rivers of Turin and Astana, which divide them in half. The rivers Po in Italy and Ishim in Kazakhstan play a significant role in shaping the city environment, as their banks are lined with a dense concentration of residential and industrial developments. The study utilized several methodologies to make a detailed study that can not skip any important aspect. First, the official geological and hydrological data is collected, including flood maps, land-use plans, and policies from local authorities and geoportals, which allows for visualization and analysis of spatial features of the catchment and surrounding areas. In comparison, policy research lets us understand exactly how the local government laws can regulate the issues of flood risk and the exposed areas. Second, using software based on geographic information systems (QGIS) to analyze flood-prone and vulnerable urban zones. And finally, after comparing and putting the findings together, we can suggest ways to improve flood risk integration and urban resilience. The suggested methodology is directed to increase the resilience of the urban environment, decreasing the vulnerability of the residential areas, and minimizing possible economic and ecological loss during emergencies connected to flooding and overflowing.