Developing a multi-facet social vulnerability measure for flood disasters at the micro-level assessment

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine vulnerability conditions to flood disasters in Tokwe-Mukorsi community, Zimbabwe and identifies the barriers that constrained the community from relocating to safe sites. Design/methodology/approach Using a questionnaire survey, field observations and interviews, the paper examines the biophysical and social vulnerability of the Tokwe-Mukorsi community, Zimbabwe, as well as the barriers that prevented it from relocating to safe sites. A thematic analysis of the large volumes of qualitative data from interviews and walk-through analyses was conducted. Descriptive statistics were used in analysing quantitative data from questionnaires. Findings Results reveal that households living upstream and downstream of the dam were highly vulnerable to floods. Their biophysical vulnerability was partly induced by the construction of the dam whose basin encroached into the farming and settlement area. The extremely vulnerable group were households living below level of 660 m where five saddle dams had been constructed. The built environment of the community exhibited ignorance of standard building codes. The poor socio-economic conditions of the community and the incessant rains experienced over two weeks contributed to the flood disaster in early 2014. The Tokwe-Mukorsi community failed to relocate to safe places partly due to lack of compensation, absence of basic infrastructure and drought occurrence in relocation sites. Research limitations/implications The calculation of social vulnerability indices is beyond the scope of this study due to non-availability of quantitative data at community level. Originality/value This paper provides a comprehensive understanding of why some communities may fail to relocate despite being highly vulnerable to flood disasters.

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Vulnerabilidad Social, Inundaciones Catastróficas y Geo-tecnologías en Regiones Subdesarrolladas. Riesgo e Incertidumbres en el Litoral Norte de la Provincia de Alagoas – Brasil (Social Vulnerability, Flood Disasters and Geo-technologies in ...)

Revista Brasileira de Geografia Física ◽

10.26848/rbgf.v6i5.233106 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 6 (5) ◽

pp. 1227

Author(s):

Neison Cabral Ferreira Freire ◽

Claudia Eleonor Natenzon

Keyword(s):

Social Vulnerability ◽

Local Governments ◽

Social Inequalities ◽

Global Climate ◽

Central Place ◽

Private Institutions ◽

Public And Private ◽

The Social ◽

Flood Disasters ◽

The Tropics

El objetivo de esta investigación es discutir y analizar cómo las geo-tecnologías y la disponibilidad de datos geo-referenciados pueden contribuir en la prevención y minimización de catástrofes naturales, tomando como estudio de caso las inundaciones ocurridas en la Provincia de Alagoas, Brasil, en 2010, ubicada en una región con grandes inequidades sociales. Analizaremos el rol de instituciones públicas y privadas en ese proceso, el desarrollo en regiones de capitalismo tardío y los nuevos retos impuestos a las administraciones municipales, principalmente sobre la previsión respecto de mayor severidad y frecuencia de eventos extremos en las zonas tropicales, resultantes de los probables cambios en la dinámica del clima planetario. Por lo tanto es necesario acercarse del marco conceptual que nos brinda la Teoría Social del Riesgo que hoy ocupa un lugar central de las agendas políticas de los gobiernos. Serán abordadas las dimensiones respecto a la peligrosidad, la vulnerabilidad, la exposición y la incertidumbre. Así que esta investigación busca aclarar la situación en la cual se produjo la catástrofe en Alagoas y cómo las geo-tecnologías pueden contribuir a un uso socialmente más amplio para la anticipación, prevención y gestión del riesgo. A B S T R A C T The objective of this research is to discuss and analyze how the geo-technologies and the availability of geo-referenced data can contribute to the prevention and minimization of natural disasters, taking as a case study of flooding in the province of Alagoas, Brazil, in 2010, located in a region with great social inequalities. Analyze the role of public and private institutions in this process, the development in regions of late capitalism and the new challenges posed to local governments, mainly on the provision in respect of greater severity and frequency of extreme events in the tropics, resulting from likely changes in global climate dynamics. Therefore it is necessary to approach the conceptual framework that gives us the Social Theory of Risk now occupied a central place in the political agendas of governments. Dimensions will be addressed regarding the hazard, vulnerability, exposure and uncertainty. So this research seeks to clarify the situation in which the disaster occurred in Alagoas and how geo-technologies can contribute to a broader social anticipation, prevention and risk management. Key-Words: social vulnerability, flood disasters, GIS.

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Measuring Social Vulnerability to Flood Disasters in China

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10082676 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 2676 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Ming Zhang ◽

Wenbo Xiang ◽

Meilan Chen ◽

Zisen Mao

Keyword(s):

Social Vulnerability ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Principal Component ◽

Vulnerability Index ◽

Infrastructure Development ◽

Minimum Income ◽

The Social ◽

Final Measurement ◽

Flood Disasters ◽

Income Assistance

To proactively prevent losses from flood disasters and subsequent potential human conflicts, it is critical to measure the social vulnerability of a country or a region to flood. In this article, we first propose a list of potential indicators for measuring this social vulnerability. These indicators’ significances are then tested based on their correlation coefficients with a vulnerability index obtained using nonparametric Data Envelopment Analysis. In the final measurement system, there are nine indicators: the proportion of the primary industry, infrastructure development level, income gap between urban and rural residents, the proportion of population over 60 years old, the proportion of children under 14 years old, the number of people receiving minimum income assistance, and the number of disasters per year. We then conduct principal component analysis to evaluate the social vulnerability level. Our results show that the social vulnerability level is mostly impacted by the economic principal component and the demographic and social security principal component. Moreover, our results also confirm that the social vulnerability level to flood in China declined overall from 2003 to 2015.

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Climate Variability, Climate Change and Social Vulnerability in the Semi-arid Tropics

10.1017/cbo9780511608308 ◽

1996 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Variability ◽

Social Vulnerability ◽

Semi Arid

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Working under conditions of social vulnerability: Depression among Latina/o immigrant horse workers.

Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology ◽

10.1037/cdp0000276 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 54-60 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Nalini Junko Negi ◽

Jennifer E. Swanberg ◽

Jessica Miller Clouser ◽

Caroline Harmon-Darrow

Keyword(s):

Social Vulnerability

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The next frontier in social support and health research: Clarifying the micro-level mechanisms

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e578192014-049 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Elizabeth Keneski ◽

Timothy Loving

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Health Research ◽

Micro Level

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Is technological change a devourer of jobs?

Voprosy Ekonomiki ◽

10.32609/0042-8736-2017-11-111-140 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 111-140 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

R. Kapeliushnikov

Keyword(s):

Technological Change ◽

Critical Analysis ◽

New Technologies ◽

Employment Growth ◽

Foreseeable Future ◽

Employment Effects ◽

Technological Unemployment ◽

Micro Level ◽

Task Sets ◽

The Impact

The paper provides a critical analysis of the idea of technological unemployment. The overview of the existing literature on the employment effects of technological change shows that on the micro-level there exists strong and positive relationship between innovations and employment growth in firms; on the sectoral level this correlation becomes ambiguous; on the macro-level the impact of new technologies seems to be positive or neutral. This implies that fears of explosive growth of technological unemployment in the foreseeable future are exaggerated. Our analysis further suggests that new technologies affect mostly the structure of employment rather than its level. Additionally we argue that automation and digitalisation would change mostly task sets within particular occupations rather than distribution of workers by occupations.

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Beyond GDP: The Quest for a Measure of Social Welfare. Part II

Voprosy Ekonomiki ◽

10.32609/0042-8736-2012-3-32-51 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 32-51 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. Fleurbaey

Keyword(s):

Social Welfare ◽

Social Relations ◽

Well Being ◽

Welfare Economics ◽

Subjective Well Being ◽

Alternative Approaches ◽

Micro Level ◽

Beyond Gdp

The second part of the paper is devoted to the non-monetary indicators of social welfare. Various approaches to the study of subjective well-being and happiness are described. The author shows what problems a researcher would encounter trying to analyze welfare on the micro-level and to take account of the cognitive and affective aspects of the individuals assessment of their well-being, as well as the relevance of social relations. The author also shows to what extent the alternative approaches, particularly the analysis of functionings and capabilities advanced by A. Sen are compatible to the modern welfare economics and what prospects the latter has.

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Psychology of the Market and Economic Power (On Psychological Approach of Alan Greenspan to the Analysis of Economic Problems)

Voprosy Ekonomiki ◽

10.32609/0042-8736-2011-4-99-118 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 99-118

Author(s):

Yu. Olsevich

Keyword(s):

Economic Policy ◽

Institutional Transformation ◽

The Other ◽

Economic Power ◽

Psychological Approach ◽

Market System ◽

Economic Problems ◽

Systemic Crisis ◽

Micro Level ◽

The One

The article analyzes the psychological basis of the theory and economic policy of libertarianism, as contained in the book by A. Greenspan "The Age of Turbulence", clarifies the strengths and weaknesses of this doctrine that led to its discredit in 2008. It presents a new understanding of liberalization in 1980-1990s as a process of institutional transformation at the micro and meso levels, implemented by politicians and entrepreneurs with predatory and opportunistic mentality. That process caused, on the one hand, the acceleration of growth, on the other hand - the erosion of informal foundations of a market system. With psychology and ideology of libertarianism, it is impossible to perceive real macro risks generated at the micro level, which lead to a systemic crisis, and to develop measures to prevent it.

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