###### Abstract  
Floods represent one of the most threatening risks for earthen architectural heritage. Developing risk assessment tools is considered crucial to mitigate the risk and to protect heritage buildings. Due to its hygroscopic nature, earthen architecture is generally considered to be vulnerable to water, requiring a specific analysis. This paper proposes a vulnerability assessment method for earthen buildings in flood-prone areas. Based on the evaluation of the susceptibility of the building's components and characteristics, the method allows for quantifying the vulnerability of the assets, in non-monetary terms. An application of the methodology is carried out assessing a selection of earthen construction in Quito Historic Centre (Ecuador). The results show the influence of each component in the global vulnerability of the earthen buildings. The response of different construction techniques and the importance of the maintenance of heritage buildings is exposed. Vulnerability assessment methods at the meso-small scale constitute the foundation for risk assessment. Thus, this study aims to provide a significant assessment tool that can be used for further analysis and future lines of research, aiming to protect cultural heritage that is at risk. floods; earthen architecture; vulnerability assessment; world heritage site +
Footnote †: journal: Accepted: 21 November 2022  
of a cultural asset needs an equally complex index, which also considers potential non-monetary losses [10; 11]. Several studies developed specific risk assessment methodologies for heritage assets, based on a non-monetary analysis [12; 13; 14], and simplified vulnerability methods were developed for large-scale assessments [13; 15], which form the basis for further analysis carried out at a local scale [16; 17]. In recent years, some studies dealing with the assessment of earnthe heritage sites were carried out [18; 19; 20]. [PERSON] et al. [21] applied the fuzzy-AHP and AHP-TOPSIS to assess the damage level for 18 earnthe sites of the Ming Great Wall. Other works delved into the weathering and durability of earnthe material and structures [22], their mechanical characteristics, and structural behaviour [23; 24]. This paper focuses on assessing the vulnerability of earnthe architecture to floods by applying a component-based methodology. The demonstration of the methodology is provided by the assessment of the historical centre of Quito (Ecuador). The city of Quito occupies an area of 19,000 ha, 4.5% of its metropolitan district, which has an extension of approximately 423,000 ha (Figure 1), is located on the slopes of the Pichincha volcano at 2850 m a.s.l. and is surrounded by the hills of Panceillo, Itchimbia, and San Juan. Quito represents a striking example of a Spanish colonial settlement founded in 1534. The ancient city sat on a platform of about two kilometres per side. Three large ravines crossed the platform, and their branches--now practically disappeared under the ground--collected the copious amount of rainfall on the Pichincha [25]. In this geographical context, floods occur during the rainy seasons, i.e., between November and May, and they are caused by localized and short rainstorms that do not usually last more than two hours but that lead to overflows in rivers and ravines. Rainfall patterns are very heterogeneous as a result of the combination of several geographical factors, such as height, orography, and the winds crossing from the Pacific and the Amazon. On the eastern slope of the Pichincha, several dozen ravines descend to the city to reach the Machangara River or the Monjas River. These ravines are ephemeral streams characterized by an intermittent flow regime which can reach 20 m deep.