Assessing climate change and health vulnerability at the local level: Travis County,Texas

We created a measure to help comprehend population vulnerability to potential flooding and excessive heat events using health, built environment and social factors. Through principal component analysis (PCA), we created non‐weighted sum index scores of literature‐reviewed social and built environment characteristics. We created baseline poor health measures using 1999–2005 age‐adjusted cardiovascular and combined diabetes and hypertension mortality rates to correspond with social–built environment indices. We mapped US Census block groups by linked age‐adjusted mortality and a PCA‐created social–built environment index. The goal was to measure flooding and excessive heat event vulnerability as proxies for population vulnerability to climate change for Travis County, Texas. This assessment identified communities where baseline poor health, social marginalisation and built environmental impediments intersected. Such assessments may assist targeted interventions and improve emergency preparedness in identified vulnerable communities, while fostering resilience through the focus of climate change adaptation policies at the local level.     

A multi-scale coastal vulnerability index: A tool for coastal managers?

Coastal hazard management involves the assessment of vulnerability in natural and human environments. Indices incorporating a diversity of indicators have therefore been used extensively to provide spatial analyses of the degree of vulnerability. Such indices are typically applied at global and national scales, and they involve varying degrees of simplification and aggregation of information. The degree of simplification that is desirable depends on the management scale, and higher resolution is required at the local compared to the global scale. To investigate the implications of spatial scale in depicting coastal hazard risk, coastal vulnerability indices were developed at national (Northern Ireland), local authority and site levels. Variables were separated into three sub-indices: a coastal characteristics sub-index concerned with the resilience and susceptibility of the coast to erosion, a coastal forcing sub-index to characterize the forcing variables contributing to wave-induced erosion and a socio-economic sub-index to assess the infrastructure potentially at risk. The three sub-indices were merged to calculate the overall index, which is portrayed in the form of colour-coded vulnerability maps. While a common tripartite index could be employed at national, regional and local scales, the nature of the data used to quantify many of the variables varies according to the scale of management. Some important local variations in vulnerability are masked by simplifications at the national scale. For some variables more detailed information is available as the spatial resolution of the study increases, while others become obsolete as data are of insufficient resolution to differentiate real variability at more detailed scales. The results highlight the importance of spatial scale in developing indices of vulnerability: while a common index architecture can be applied, the selection of variables must take account of the scale at which the hazard is to be assessed. It is likely that limits on index development will also be imposed by data availability at various scales.     

家户水灾社会脆弱性的评估方法研究——以长沙地区为例

中国是洪水灾害发生频繁的国家之一，研究水灾脆弱性对中国的灾害风险管理有着极为重要的意义。但是，合理评估脆弱性尤其是社会脆弱性却面临着极大的挑战。利用Hoovering改进模式，选择湘江流域的长沙地区为研究区，对研究区内的家户进行了社会脆弱性评价。结果表明，长沙市区的5个区内，高脆弱性家户最多的是天心区，最少的是雨花区。而就社区而言，高脆弱性家户最多的足裕南街街道和桔子洲街道。该结果反映了长沙不同行政区、社区社会脆弱性的差别，可供确定受援地区和受援人群及开展援助活动，乃至灾后日常风险管理参考。     

农业旱灾脆弱性评价--以北方农牧交错带兴和县为例

基于区域自然灾害系统理论,构建了农业旱灾灾害系统及其脆弱性评价指标体系,建立了农业旱灾脆弱性综合评价模型,指出农业旱灾脆弱性评价是一个过程性评价:灾前-灾中强调区域农业生产系统的易损性,灾中-灾后强调区域里的人应对旱灾的适应性.以地处北方农牧交错带的兴和县为例,进行了农业旱灾脆弱性评价,结果表明:农牧交错带的农业旱灾脆弱性在县域尺度上主要受农牧用地比例的影响,在农户尺度上取决于非农牧收入比例的大小,所以合理、有效的农牧结合发展和非农牧产业发展有利于降低该地区的农业旱灾脆弱性.     

中国水灾社会脆弱性评估方法的改进与应用--以长沙地区为例

中国是洪水灾害发生频繁的国家之一,研究水灾脆弱性对中国的灾害风险管理有重要的意义.但是,合理评估脆弱性尤其是社会脆弱性却面临着极大的挑战.论文对评估社会脆弱性指数的研究现状进行了分析,指出了传统评估方法存在的问题,并尝试改进Hoovering评估模式.选择湘江流域的长沙地区为研究区,应用改进模型对研究区进行了社会脆弱性指数的评估.结果表明,长沙地区社会脆弱性从1980年至2000年基本处于下降趋势,但是在2002年和2003年增长迅速.2003年,长沙5区4县中社会脆弱性指数最大的是开福区,其次是长沙县,而宁乡县的社会脆弱性指数最低.     

泥石流风险评价

针对当前泥石流灾害评价研究中的问题，论述了引入风险概念的重要性。简要介绍了泥石流危险度的研究方法。根据人的价值理论改进了泥石流灾害易损度评价体系，提出了社会易损度的定量化方法。将可能造成的人员伤亡在风险评价的成果中单列出来，解决了对人的社会价值评价难题。改进了泥石流风险评价指标体系，提出了对今后泥石流灾害评价的建议。     

Getting the Scale Right: A Comparison of Analytical Methods for Vulnerability Assessment and Household-level Targeting

This paper introduces broad concepts of vulnerability, food security and famine. It argues that the concepts and theories driving development and implementation of vulnerability assessment tools are related to their utility. The review concludes that socio-geographic scale is a key issue, and challenge. It analyses three vulnerability assessment (VA) methods, using Ethiopia as a case study. Facing the challenges of vulnerability assessment and early warning requires providing accurate information at the required scale, useful for multiple decision-makers within realistic institutional capacities.     

Disaster risk,social vulnerability,and economic development

This paper examines the extent to which economic development decreases a country's risk of experiencing climate‐related disasters as well as the societal impacts of those events. The paper proceeds from the underlying assumption that disasters are not inherently natural, but arise from the intersection of naturally‐occurring hazards within fragile environments. It uses data from the International Disaster Database (EM‐DAT), 1 representing country‐year‐level observations over the period 1980–2007. The study finds that low‐income countries are significantly more at risk of climate‐related disasters, even after controlling for exposure to climate hazards and other factors that may confound disaster reporting. Following the occurrence of a disaster, higher income generally diminishes a country's social vulnerability to such happenings, resulting in lower levels of mortality and morbidity. This implies that continued economic development may be a powerful tool for lessening social vulnerability to climate change.     

基于贝叶斯随机评价方法的小城镇灾害易损性分析

为了准确评价小城镇灾害易损性所处的状态,进而为制定小城镇防灾减灾规划提供科学依据,提出了基于贝叶斯公式的小城镇灾害易损性随机评价方法。该方法通过计算小城镇灾害易损性单个指标属于某个评价级别的概率,由最大似然分类原则确定单个易损性指标的评价级别,进而采用最大加权概率原则推求其综合评价级别。通过实例计算分析,并与模糊评估方法、可拓物元评价方法进行比较验证,说明了该方法的可行性及其简单、实用的特点。     

Pinning down vulnerability: from narratives to numbers

Social vulnerability analyses have typically relied upon narratives to capture the nuances of the concept. While narratives have enhanced our understanding of the multiple drivers of vulnerability, they have had limited influence on hazards and climate adaptation policy. This is partially a function of the different needs and goals of the policy and research communities. The former prioritises generalised quantitative information, while the latter is more concerned with capturing complexity. A theoretically driven and empirically tested quantitative vulnerability and capacities index (VCI) for use at the local scale is presented to help connect vulnerability research and policy. There are four versions of the index for use in rural and urban contexts at the household and community levels. There can be an infinite number of drivers of vulnerability, but the VCI draws upon 12 indicators to represent material, institutional and attitudinal aspects of differential vulnerability and capacities.     

沿海地区台风灾害系统脆弱性过程诊断与评估以福建省为例——以福建省为例

基于自然灾害系统理论，分析了导致和影响台风灾害系统脆弱性过程的主要因素，并提出了脆弱性的诊断思路。通过分析，建立了台风灾害发生过程和灾害发生以后的脆弱性评估指标体系和评估模型，构建了台风灾害系统脆弱性综合指数模型，并以福建县域为单元，对福建省台风灾害系统脆弱性过程进行评价。研究表明，福建省台风灾害系统脆弱性呈上升趋势，空间上高值区集中分布在沿海地区，有从东部沿海向西部扩展的趋势。反映台风强度和福建人口、经济地区差异显著，建议应该制定区域综合减灾模式，逐步降低脆弱性，提高防御台风灾害能力。     

沿海地区台风灾害系统脆弱性过程诊断与评估——以福建省为例

基于自然灾害系统理论,分析了导致和影响台风灾害系统脆弱性过程的主要因素,并提出了脆弱性的诊断思路。通过分析,建立了台风灾害发生过程和灾害发生以后的脆弱性评估指标体系和评估模型,构建了台风灾害系统脆弱性综合指数模型,并以福建县域为单元,对福建省台风灾害系统脆弱性过程进行评价。研究表明,福建省台风灾害系统脆弱性呈上升趋势,空间上高值区集中分布在沿海地区,有从东部沿海向西部扩展的趋势。反映台风强度和福建人口、经济地区差异显著,建议应该制定区域综合减灾模式,逐步降低脆弱性,提高防御台风灾害能力。     

Land tenure,disasters and vulnerability

Although often overlooked, land tenure is an important variable impacting on vulnerability to disaster. Vulnerability can occur either where land tenure is perceived to be insecure, or where insecure tenure results in the loss of land, especially when alternative livelihood and housing options are limited. Disasters often provide the catalyst for such loss. This paper avoids making generalisations about the security of particular types of tenure, but instead explores factors that mediate tenure security, particularly in the wake of a disaster. The paper identifies five mediating factors: (1) the local legal system; (2) government administrative authority; (3) the economy; (4) evidence of tenure, and; (5) custom and dominant social attitudes. It is shown that some mediating factors are more salient for particular types of tenure than others. The paper will highlight the importance of land tenure in any assessment of vulnerability, and conclude with suggestions for further research.     

Mapping social vulnerability to flood hazard in Norfolk,England

In this paper, we present a method to assess social vulnerability through the creation of an Open Source Vulnerability Index (OS-VI). The OS-VI provides context to environmental hazards and allows NGOs and local agencies to better tailor services and provide targeted pre-emptive vulnerability reduction and resilience-building programmes. A deductive indicator-based approach is utilised to incorporate a wide range of vulnerability indicators known to influence vulnerability. Unlike many vulnerability indices, the OS-VI incorporates flood risk as well as the loss of capabilities and the importance of key services (health facilities and food stores) through the measurement of accessibility when determining an area's level of social vulnerability. The index was developed using open-source mapping and analysis software and is composed completely of open-source data from national data sets. The OS-VI was designed at the national level, with data for all proxy indicators available across the entirety of England and Wales. For this paper, a case study is presented concerned with one English county, Norfolk.

Highlights

• We produce an open-source vulnerability index.

• Accessibility to health care found to be severely affected by flooding.

• High vulnerability areas found to be disproportionately impacted by flooding.

• Urban extent of an area found to increase its level of vulnerability.

• Flood affected areas more likely to be composed of elderly, sick and poor.

     

城市灾害易损性及其评价指标

城市化的加速使城市成为国民经济和社会发展的重要区域,同时灾害给城市发展造成了巨大的损失。通过分析易损性的维度和时空性,并在总结多因子复合函数方法、模糊综合评价方法、数据包络分析方法等易损性研究方法的基础上,结合复杂的城市系统的内部特征,从人口易损性、经济易损性、社会易损性和生态环境易损性4个方面建立适合城市灾害易损性评价的框架;探讨了包括人口迁入率和经济密度等11个城市灾害易损性指标体系。最后指出城市灾害易损性研究对城市可持续发展有重要意义。     

自然灾害社会易损性评价指标体系框架的构建

按照我们对社会易损性构成的认识,从区域人口易损系统、区域社会结构易损系统和区域社会文化易损系统三方面构建了自然灾害社会易损性评价指标体系。这个指标体系是由一个内部层次分明、逻辑结构清晰的9个指数和39个指标要素构成的框架。该评价体系可以作为政府管理部门和社会公众认识自然灾害的社会属性的科学依据,也是减灾防灾的重要工具。     

吉林省城市干旱缺水风险评价体系与模型研究

以吉林省地级城市为研究对象,从造成城市干旱缺水的致灾因子危险性,承灾体的暴露性、脆弱性和防旱抗旱能力四个方面着手,利用自然灾害指数法、加权综合评价法和层次分析法,建立了城市干旱缺水风险评价模型,引用城市干旱缺水风险指数(UDRI),对城市干旱缺水风险程度进行了评价,并借助GIS技术绘制了吉林省城市干旱缺水风险分布图,以期为实现吉林省水资源可持续利用、保障区域经济可持续发展和老工业基地改造战略实施提供科学依据.     

改进的物元可拓模型在台风灾害预评估中的应用

以数值天气预报产品为信息源,选择降水量、降水强度、最大风速、经济易损性作为评价因子,建立了可拓模型,并进行了台风灾前的灾害预测性评估。针对物元可拓法在台风灾害预评估应用中的不足之处(当待评估的数据超出某一指标评价指标范围,其关联度函数就会出现无法计算的情况),对原有模型中经典域的量值作规格化处理和改变关联度计算,以海南岛的台风历史灾害数据为基础,建立了新的评估模型,并将GIS与评估模型结合开展实例应用,结果表明:该方法是可行性。     

Development of a composite climate change vulnerability index for small craft harbours

Coastal areas around the world are threatened by an accelerated sea level rise (SLR), storm surges and coastal flooding related to climate change. These threats, together with the land use pattern of coastal areas, could create a dangerous mix for coastal communities and could result in major socio-economic and environmental consequences. Apart from human settlements, seaports are likely to be most vulnerable to climate change because they are located at areas exposed to SLR and storm surges or at mouths of rivers susceptible to flooding. To remain efficient and resilient, seaports must anticipate the impacts of climate change and proactively prepare for SLR, increased flooding, and more frequent extreme storm events. This paper presents the analytical and empirical aspects of an integrated vulnerability index (VI) for small raft harbours based on the methodology of the IPCC for coastal vulnerability assessment. Six corresponding steps are adopted to assess the fishing ports VI (VIP-F) considering geophysical and socio-economic parameters. The proposed index is applied to 47 fishing boats and small commercial harbours of Lesvos, Greece. The proposed methodology can be adapted for assessing the vulnerability of major ports.     

Build back better: implementation in Victorian bushfire reconstruction

The ‘build back better’ (BBB) concept signals an opportunity to decrease the vulnerability of communities to future disasters during post‐disaster reconstruction and recovery. The 2009 Victorian bushfires in Australia serve as a case study for this assessment of the application of core BBB principles and their outcomes. The results show that several BBB measures were successfully implemented in Victoria and are relevant for any post‐disaster reconstruction effort. The BBB initiatives taken in Victoria include: land‐use planning determined by hazard risk‐based zoning; enforcement of structural design improvements; facilitated permit procedures; regular consultations with stakeholders; and programmes conducted for social and economic recovery. Lessons from the Victorian recovery urge the avoidance of construction in high‐risk zones; fairness and representativeness in community consultations; adequate support for economic recovery; the advance establishment of recovery frameworks; and empowerment of local councils.