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Vulnerability Assessment and Disaster Risk Reduction

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability in Geographic Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 54142

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Michael Hagenlocher

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Guest Editor

United Nations University, Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), 53113 Bonn, Germany
Interests: vulnerability and risk assessment, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, droughts, floods

Dr. Zinta Zommers

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Guest Editor

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), UNDRR Office in Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany
Interests: disaster risk reduction, resilience, climate change adaptation, food security, health and environmental change

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Disaster risk reduction is increasingly being prioritized in key policy documents and agendas at the local, national, regional, and international level (e.g., Sendai Framework, SDGs, New Urban Agenda). The need for improved knowledge on the drivers, spatial patterns, and dynamics of climate and disaster risk has been repeatedly stressed by scientists, risk practitioners, and decision makers. Cumulatively, this has prompted a rapid rise in the number of vulnerability and risk assessments at different spatial and temporal scales. While major efforts have been made regarding the development of novel and innovative methods for vulnerability and risk assessments, a gap persists in how these assessments can be, and actually are used, toward the identification, planning, and prioritization of risk reduction, risk transfer, and adaptation options.

For this Special Issue, we aim at soliciting contributions on vulnerability/risk assessment and disaster risk reduction. The overall aim of the Special Issue is to bring together reviews and original research articles that aim to bridge the ‘science to policy’ and ‘science to practice’ gap by moving beyond assessing the problem (i.e., assessing vulnerability and/or risk) to providing solutions (i.e., recommendations for disaster risk reduction, risk transfer, and adaptation) for more resilient societies.

Considered papers may cover the following topics:

Vulnerability and risk assessments (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods approaches) at different spatial (local to global) and/or temporal scales (past trends, current patterns, future scenarios) that aim to inform risk reduction, risk transfer, and adaptation policies and actions;
Assessment of multi-hazard, cascading, compound, or systemic risks, and options to address these vulnerabilities and risks;
Persisting gaps, recent trends, and emerging issues regarding the linkages between vulnerability and risk assessments and the planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of risk reduction, risk transfer, and adaptation options at different scales;
Evaluation of the effects of risk reduction, risk transfer, and adaptation solutions, or other interventions, on risk patterns and trends (including future scenarios);
Co-benefits, risks, and costs of risk reduction, risk transfer, and adaptation, including interactions and trade-offs, and technological and financial challenges and options.

The Guest Editors aim for diversity and balance in the contributions and their authors. Therefore, researchers from developing countries, women, and underrepresented minorities are encouraged to contribute to this Special Issue.

Dr. Michael Hagenlocher
Dr. Zinta Zommers
Guest Editors

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Keywords

vulnerability and risk assessment
climate change
natural hazards
multi-hazard and systemic risk
disaster risk reduction
risk transfer
adaptation
policy, planning, and implementation
science policy

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 4700 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Community Assessment of Flood Risks and Early Warning System in Ratu Watershed, Koshi Basin, Nepal

by Sagar Ratna Bajracharya, Narendra Raj Khanal, Pashupati Nepal, Sundar Kumar Rai, Pawan Kumar Ghimire and Neera Shrestha Pradhan

Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3577; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063577 - 23 Mar 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4994

Abstract

Nepal is highly vulnerable to flood-related disasters which cause considerable loss of lives and property. The vulnerability of communities to flood-related hazards can be reduced by proper planning, preparedness, and responses using various structural and nonstructural measures. The community-based flood early warning system is one such tool that enables local communities to enhance their resilience to flooding risks. This paper highlights the efficacy of the community assessment of flood risks and early warning systems. Using qualitative and quantitative methods, this paper evaluates the progress of a community-based flood early warning system implemented in the Ratu River—a small tributary of the Koshi River. The establishment of a community network in 2015 was instrumental in the dissemination of flood early warning information and in building local capacities to understand the risks and take timely action. The flood early warning resulted in awareness-raising, strengthened upstream–downstream linkages, and resulted in a greater willingness among communities to help each other prepare for flood disasters in the Ratu watershed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerability Assessment and Disaster Risk Reduction)

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13 pages, 22244 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Urban Vulnerability Assessment for Pandemic Surveillance—The COVID-19 Case in Bogotá, Colombia

by Jeisson Prieto, Rafael Malagón, Jonatan Gomez and Elizabeth León

Sustainability 2021, 13(6), 3402; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063402 - 19 Mar 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2911

Abstract

A pandemic devastates the lives of global citizens and causes significant economic, social, and political disruption. Evidence suggests that the likelihood of pandemics has increased over the past century because of increased global travel and integration, urbanization, and changes in land use with a profound affectation of society–nature metabolism. Further, evidence concerning the urban character of the pandemic has underlined the role of cities in disease transmission. An early assessment of the severity of infection and transmissibility can help quantify the pandemic potential and prioritize surveillance to control highly vulnerable urban areas in pandemics. In this paper, an Urban Vulnerability Assessment (UVA) methodology is proposed. UVA investigates various vulnerability factors related to pandemics to assess the vulnerability in urban areas. A vulnerability index is constructed by the aggregation of multiple vulnerability factors computed on each urban area (i.e., urban density, poverty index, informal labor, transmission routes). This methodology is useful in a-priori evaluation and development of policies and programs aimed at reducing disaster risk (DRR) at different scales (i.e., addressing urban vulnerability at national, regional, and provincial scales), under diverse scenarios of resources scarcity (i.e., short and long-term actions), and for different audiences (i.e., the general public, policy-makers, international organizations). The applicability of UVA is shown by the identification of high vulnerable areas based on publicly available data where surveillance should be prioritized in the COVID-19 pandemic in Bogotá, Colombia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerability Assessment and Disaster Risk Reduction)

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11 pages, 236 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Self and Place Constructs in Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments: Gaps and Recommendations

by Charles Herrick

Sustainability 2021, 13(5), 2990; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052990 - 9 Mar 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2201

Abstract

In the United States, climate change vulnerability assessments are usually conceived as objectified exercises, based on theoretical orientations such as rational choice or systems theory. They adopt sectorial or population-level frames of reference and are operationalized by means of aggregating mathematical models, geospatial analytical platforms, and advanced visualization tools. While vulnerability assessments are intended to inform decision making, they often lack process-based mechanisms that enable them to be framed in terms of localized knowledge and perspectives. This is a weakness because occupant attitudes regarding places can spark unyieldingly negative reactions to expert-generated, objectivist vulnerability assessment processes and their outputs. In this paper, I attempt to demonstrate the salience of self and place constructs and explore the implications of their tendency to block serious reflection about the nature of potential vulnerabilities and risk management interventions. If acknowledged and addressed in a manner that is empathetic and context sensitive, it may be possible to channel these perspectives to elevate and deepen dialog about climate change and help to identify and compile circumstantially appropriate menus of adaptation policy interventions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerability Assessment and Disaster Risk Reduction)

19 pages, 17789 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improvement of Evacuation Modeling by Considering Road Blockade in the Case of an Earthquake: A Case Study of Daitoku School District, Kanazawa City, Japan

by Dinh-Thanh Nguyen, Zhen-jiang Shen, Minh-Hoang Truong and Kenichi Sugihara

Sustainability 2021, 13(5), 2637; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052637 - 1 Mar 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2654

Abstract

In disaster management, evacuation modeling is considered a useful visual tool to disaster managers for reviewing current evacuation strategies, estimating the ability of shelters to accommodate all evacuees, and developing evacuation route planning. Though there are several existing studies on evacuation modeling in the case of an earthquake, research that integrates road blockades into evacuation simulations is quite limited. From that viewpoint, this research aims to develop evacuation modeling with consideration of road blockades to simulate how residents move to evacuation centers (hereafter, shelters) through urban areas following an earthquake occurrence. The research also determines difficulties that residents may encounter under earthquake conditions, compared with normal conditions, corresponding to considering or not considering road blockades, respectively, such as having no access to shelters, taking longer routes instead of shortest routes, and so on. Debris from damaged buildings in an urban area is assumed as the main source of debris that would cause a road blockade. The model is applied to a case study of the Daitoku school district in Kanazawa city. According to simulated results, due to road blockades, occupants of many damaged buildings did not have access to shelters, and a lot of evacuees needed to move to shelters with longer routes instead of taking the shortest routes. Furthermore, the research results show the possibility of considering road blockades for improving current evacuation modeling and making evacuation simulations more realistic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerability Assessment and Disaster Risk Reduction)

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17 pages, 5057 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Methodological Approach to Municipal Pluvial Flood Risk Assessment Based on a Small City Case Study

by Felix Julian Othmer, Dennis Becker, Laura Miriam Schulte and Stefan Greiving

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10487; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410487 - 15 Dec 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2807

Abstract

Urban flooding caused by heavy rainfall confronts cities worldwide with new challenges. Urban flash floods lead to considerable dangers and risks. In cities and urban areas, the vulnerability to pluvial flooding is particularly high. In order to be able to respond to heavy rainfall events with adaptation strategies and measures in the course of urban development, the spatial hazards, vulnerabilities and risks must first be determined and evaluated. This article shows a new, universally applicable methodical approach of a municipal pluvial flood risk assessment for small and medium-sized cities. We follow the common approaches to risk and vulnerability analyses and take into account current research approaches to heavy rainfall and urban pluvial flooding. Based on the intersection of the hazard with the vulnerability, the pluvial flood risk is determined. The aim of the present pluvial flood risk assessment was to identify particularly affected areas in the event of heavy rainfall in the small German city of Olfen. The research procedure and the results have been coordinated with the city’s administration within the framework of a real laboratory. In the course of the science–policy cooperation, it was ensured that the results could be applied appropriately in urban developments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerability Assessment and Disaster Risk Reduction)

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27 pages, 3173 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of Vulnerability Assessment Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction at Three Levels of Geopolitical Units in the Philippines

by Rex Aurelius C. Robielos, Chiuhsiang Joe Lin, Delia B. Senoro and Froilan P. Ney

Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 8815; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12218815 - 23 Oct 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 12450

Abstract

This study developed a comprehensive framework for vulnerability assessment as a tool to measure vulnerability at three levels of geopolitical units in the Philippines. This is a comprehensive multi-disaster framework that can provide information to a decentralized type of government system like the Philippines. The vulnerability assessment framework (VAF) that has been developed was anchored upon the IPCC model and used the integration of community-based monitoring system (CBMS) data, expert inputs, and a series of community-based activities such as consultative fora, focus group discussions, workshops, and risk reduction immersion activities. The developed VAF for the assessment of vulnerability indices (VIs) is a system framework composed of a vulnerability scoping diagram (VSD) and an expanded vulnerability assessment model (VAM). The VSD is composed of three dimensions (e.g., exposure, sensitivity, resiliency), seven identified hazards, with 26, 27, and 29 sub-indicators for household, barangay, and municipal levels, respectively. Measuring vulnerability can be an effective strategy for assessing the potential impact/s of natural disasters on society. The continuous occurrence of natural disasters in the Philippines requires enhancement of public understanding of vulnerability. This would provide transparent understanding and enhance community competency leading to the development of methodologies and tools to assess various factors and indicators of vulnerability. The information extracted from using the VAF and VSD are helpful to the local government units, especially in preparing budgets, strategies, and programs for disaster risk reduction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerability Assessment and Disaster Risk Reduction)

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22 pages, 2746 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Methodology and Application of Spatial Vulnerability Assessment for Evacuation Shelters in Disaster Planning

by Hiranya Sritart, Hiroyuki Miyazaki, Sakiko Kanbara and Takashi Hara

Sustainability 2020, 12(18), 7355; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187355 - 8 Sep 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4943

Abstract

Evacuation shelters are the most important means for safeguarding people in hazardous areas and situations, and thus minimizing losses, particularly those due to a disaster. Therefore, evacuation shelter assignment and evacuation planning are some of the critical factors for reducing vulnerability and increasing resilience in disaster risk reduction. However, an imbalance of shelter distribution and spatial heterogeneity of a population are the critical issues limiting the accessibility of evacuation shelters in real situations. In this study, we propose a methodology for spatial assessment to reduce vulnerability and evaluate the spatial distribution of both shelter demand and resources, considering spatial accessibility. The method was applied to the case study of Mabi, in the context of a disaster caused by the 2018 flooding. We applied this approach to evaluate the area and identified the vulnerability of the evacuation shelters and the residents. The proposed method revealed that 54.55% of the designated evacuation shelters and 59% of the total population were physically vulnerable to the flood. The results highlight, using GIS maps, that the total shelter capacity was significantly decreased to 43.86%. The outcome assessment addressed specific vulnerable shelters and the imbalance between the demand for and resources of each shelter. Accordingly, this study provides practical information and a valuable reference for supporting local governments and stakeholders to improve future disaster planning, prevention, and preparedness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerability Assessment and Disaster Risk Reduction)

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21 pages, 3700 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Climate Change in the Trinational Upper Rhine Region: How Can We Operationalize Vulnerability Using an Indicator-Based, Meso-Scale Approach?

by Nicolas Scholze, Nils Riach and Rüdiger Glaser

Sustainability 2020, 12(16), 6323; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12166323 - 6 Aug 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3166

Abstract

Climate vulnerability assessments are an important prerequisite for establishing successful climate adaptation strategies. Despite a growing number of assessments on the national or global scale, there is still a need for regionalized studies with a high resolution to identify meso-scale vulnerability patterns. In this paper, we present an indicator-based assessment that was carried out in the Trinational Metropolitan Region Upper Rhine within the Interreg-V project Clim’Ability. The analyzed region is characterized by strong cross-border and transnational linkages, similar ecological features and climatic stressors but differing political, administrative, cultural and legal conditions. In this rather complex setting, we operationalized a state-of-the art vulnerability framework using 18 quantified indicators and aggregating them into a vulnerability index. We show that it is possible to downscale the methods used in recent assessments to a regional context with a challenging data situation and discuss strengths and uncertainties. The results are mapped for stakeholder communication purposes. They provide an evidence-base to the identification of the trinational vulnerability pattern and may enable stakeholders and decision-makers to enhance their own climate adaptation planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerability Assessment and Disaster Risk Reduction)

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28 pages, 10751 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Multi-Risk Methodology for the Assessment of Climate Change Impacts in Coastal Zones

by Valentina Gallina, Silvia Torresan, Alex Zabeo, Andrea Critto, Thomas Glade and Antonio Marcomini

Sustainability 2020, 12(9), 3697; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12093697 - 2 May 2020

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 6984

Abstract

Climate change threatens coastal areas, posing significant risks to natural and human systems, including coastal erosion and inundation. This paper presents a multi-risk approach integrating multiple climate-related hazards and exposure and vulnerability factors across different spatial units and temporal scales. The multi-hazard assessment employs an influence matrix to analyze the relationships among hazards (sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and storm surge) and their disjoint probability. The multi-vulnerability considers the susceptibility of the exposed receptors (wetlands, beaches, and urban areas) to different hazards based on multiple indicators (dunes, shoreline evolution, and urbanization rate). The methodology was applied in the North Adriatic coast, producing a ranking of multi-hazard risks by means of GIS maps and statistics. The results highlight that the higher multi-hazard score (meaning presence of all investigated hazards) is near the coastline while multi-vulnerability is relatively high in the whole case study, especially for beaches, wetlands, protected areas, and river mouths. The overall multi-risk score presents a trend similar to multi-hazard and shows that beaches is the receptor most affected by multiple risks (60% of surface in the higher multi-risk classes). Risk statistics were developed for coastal municipalities and local stakeholders to support the setting of adaptation priorities and coastal zone management plans. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerability Assessment and Disaster Risk Reduction)

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31 pages, 6318 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Socioeconomic Vulnerability after a Hurricane: A Combined Use of an Index-Based approach and Principal Components Analysis

by Neiler Medina, Yared Abayneh Abebe, Arlex Sanchez and Zoran Vojinovic

Sustainability 2020, 12(4), 1452; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12041452 - 15 Feb 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5742

Abstract

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are vulnerable to sea-level rise and hydro-meteorological hazards. In addition to the efforts to reduce the hazards, a holistic strategy that also addresses the vulnerability and exposure of residents and their assets is essential to mitigate the impacts of such hazards. Evaluating the socioeconomic vulnerability of SIDS can serve the purpose of identification of the root drivers of risk. In this paper, we present a methodology to assess and map socioeconomic vulnerability at a neighbourhood scale using an index-based approach and principal component analysis (PCA). The index-based vulnerability assessment approach has a modular and hierarchical structure with three components: susceptibility, lack of coping capacities and lack of adaptation, which are further composed of factors and variables. To compute the index, we use census data in combination with data coming from a survey we performed in the aftermath of Irma. PCA is used to screen the variables, to identify the most important variables that drive vulnerability and to cluster neighbourhoods based on the common factors. The methods are applied to the case study of Sint Maarten in the context of the disaster caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017. Applying the combined analysis of index-based approach with PCA allows us to identify the critical neighbourhoods on the island and to identify the main variables or drivers of vulnerability. Results show that the lack of coping capacities is the most influential component of vulnerability in Sint Maarten. From this component, the “immediate action” and the “economic coverage” are the most critical factors. Such analysis also enables decision-makers to focus their (often limited) resources more efficiently and have a more significant impact concerning disaster risk reduction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerability Assessment and Disaster Risk Reduction)

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16 pages, 4778 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Assessment of Damage Vulnerability to Storms Based on the Analysis of Historical Damage Cost Data in the Korean Peninsula

by Hyun Il Choi

Sustainability 2019, 11(21), 6051; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11216051 - 31 Oct 2019

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2303

Abstract

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Reports, climate variability and changes increase the possibility of extreme weather events causing climate-related hazards and the risk of natural disasters. A storm is one of the most common and serious natural hazards that pose significant human and economic damage costs worldwide. The Korean Peninsula is also at persistent risk of hydro-meteorological disasters induced by rainstorms and typhoons due to geomorphological features and climate change impacts. This study has, therefore, proposed the damage vulnerability index for a spatial assessment of the damage vulnerability to storms, based on the IPCC’s vulnerability assessment concept. The damage vulnerability index is aggregated from the potential indicator for the potential damage targets, estimated by the population and major facility densities, and the risk indicator for the expected damage risk, estimated by the risk analysis for integrating both frequency and severity of human and economic damage cost records. The damage vulnerability index can assess regions vulnerable to the disaster damage induced by rainstorms, typhoons, and both, respectively, over the 231 administrative districts in the Republic of Korea. It is expected that the proposed damage vulnerability index can provide realistic and practical information on sustainable damage mitigation plans for the nationwide administrative districts against storm-induced disasters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vulnerability Assessment and Disaster Risk Reduction)

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