Vulnerability

Definition Vulnerability is when the geographic conditions that increase the susceptibility of a community to a hazard or to the impacts of a hazard event.

Factors Affecting Vulnerability The concept of vulnerability encompasses not only the physical effects of a natural hazard but also the status of people and property in the area. Many factors can increase one’s vulnerability to natural hazards, especially catastrophic events. Vulnerability depends on many factors…

Factors Affecting Vulnerability Population density. Understanding of the area. Public education. Awareness of hazards. Existence of an early warning system. Effective lines of communication.

Factors Affecting Vulnerability Availability and readiness of emergency personnel. Insurance cover. Construction styles and building codes. The nature of society. Cultural factors.

Activity Find a case study for each of the 12 factors that affect vulnerability. Choose from the China, Jakarta, and Egypt newspaper articles. You should be able to give an example of each so that your case study is perfect.

Factors Demographic Factors 1 Size of Vulnerable Population | 2 Population Density Socio-economic Factors 3 A Country's Level of Development | 4 An Individual's Wealth

Afters Community Preparedness 5 Public Education | 6 Recent Hazard Events | 7 Early Warning Systems | 8 Building Codes A Community's Ability to deal with a Hazard Event 9 Governance | 10 Effective Lines of Communication | 11 Emergency Personnel | 12 Insurance Cover