Transcript Slide 1

Understanding vulnerability
in your area
Sarah Lindley,
University of Manchester
Sept 13th 2012
Vulnerability



Vulnerability is a matter of how external stresses impact on
well-being. An individual or group is of greater vulnerability if
they are less able to respond to stresses placed on wellbeing.
The central question: how is vulnerability distributed across
different individuals and groups?
However, the characterisation of vulnerability raises a
number of prior questions:
1.
2.
How should well-being be conceptualised and measured?
What factors are relevant to understanding how external stresses
convert into changes in well-being?
Socio-spatial vulnerability

Incorporates space and time with personal, social and environmental conversion factors

Geographical expression of the potential for an event to convert into the loss of wellbeing

Each of five dimensions reveals a different picture and requires different actions
Ability to
prepare
Ability to
respond
Adaptive
capacity
Sensitivity
Exposure
(Enhanced)
Ability to
recover
Vulnerability

But understanding related
climate disadvantage requires
consideration of the potential
for contact with a flood or
heat-related event too
Exposure
Climate
disadvantage
Hazard
Socio-spatial heat vulnerability domains
Dimension
Domain
Example explanation
Sensitivity: Biophysical
Age
Old and young are more physically susceptible to harm
characteristics
Health
Those with pre-existing illnesses are more susceptible
Exposure: Physical
Physical environment
Amount of green or blue space; availability of gardens
neighbourhood attributes
Physical geography
Physical location (e.g. elevation)
Housing characteristics
Type of building (high-rise dwellings)
Preparation: Taking
Income
Ability to obtain technical solutions (e.g. air conditioning)
precautions
Tenure
Ability to modify living environments
Information use
Ability to use/access information
Response: Avoiding heat
Income
Ability to use technical and other solutions
stress during an event
Information use
Language and education affecting the ability to respond to warnings
Social networks
Availability of personal or community networks
Mobility
Availability of personal/household mobility
Crime
Ability to deploy adaptive measure, e.g. open windows
General accessibility
General neighbourhood accessibility
Recovery: Recovering from
Information use
Ability to understand what help is available and what to do
heat stress if it occurs
Social networks
Availability of personal/community networks
Mobility
General mobility/disability
Service access
Availability of GPs
Socio-spatial flood vulnerability domains
Dimension
Domain
Example explanation
Sensitivity: Biophysical characteristics
Age
Old and young are more physically susceptible
Health
Those with pre-existing illnesses are more susceptible
Exposure: Physical neighbourhood
Physical environment
Amount of green or blue space; availability of gardens
attributes
Housing characteristics
Type of building (basement and street-level dwellings)
Preparation: Taking precautions
Income
Ability to obtain technical solutions (e.g. floodgates)
Tenure
Ability to modify living environments
Information use
Ability to use/access information
Local knowledge
Personal or community knowledge of past events in the area
Insurance
Likelihood of insurance being available
Income
Ability to use technical and other solutions
Information use
Language & education affecting the response to warnings
Local knowledge
Personal or community knowledge of past events in the area
Insurance
Likelihood of insurance being available
Social networks
Availability of personal or community networks
Mobility
Availability of personal/household mobility
Crime
Ability to deploy adaptive measure, e.g. floodgates
General accessibility
General neighbourhood accessibility
Recovery: Recovering from a flood
Income
Ability to replace lost goods, find temporary accommodation
event
Information use
Ability to understand what help is available & what to do
Insurance
Ability to claim for damages and re-insure
Social networks
Availability of personal/community networks
Mobility
General mobility/disability
Response: Avoiding losses
Socio-spatial flood
vulnerability in Scotland
Overall, most extremely
socially vulnerable
locations are urban and
there is a strong coastal
component.
Dimensions of socio-spatial flood
vulnerability in Scotland
Case study A –flood vulnerability
Individual indicators highlight the drivers of vulnerability relative
to the average Scottish neighbourhood
•Higher than average Sensitivity
•Above average % >75 and ill-health
•Higher than average enhanced exposure
•more urban but just below average proportion of
basement dwellings
•Lower than average adaptive capacity
•Fewer resources larger % HHs income deprived
•Lack of control over home environment, around
48% social renters
•Slightly > average % of newcomers
•Possible insurance access higher % land area affected
by historical flood events*
•> average % lone parents with dependent children
•Low private transport access but greater workplace
proximity & less use of public transport
* limitations apply in the historical flood event data
Case study B – flood vulnerability
Individual indicators highlight the drivers of vulnerability relative to
the average Scottish neighbourhood
•Higher than average Sensitivity
•Above average % young children & ill-health
•Higher than average enhanced exposure
•Similar to previous example
•Lower adaptive capacity
•Fewer resources much larger % HHs income deprived
•Lack of control over home environment, around 74%
social renters
•Slightly < average % of newcomers, less transience
•Possible insurance access higher % land area affected by
historical flood events*
•3 times % lone parents with dependent children
•Double % disabled
•Low mobility (73% no car/van) and high reliance on public
transport for work (31%)
* limitations apply in the historical flood event data
Key findings

Key socially vulnerable groups can be identified:





Poverty and deprivation  Strongly related to IMD
New residents
Mobility and access
Sensitivity
Enhanced exposure
 Evidence of joint sociospatial vulnerabilities in the
UK – up to 2/3 of the top
10% most socially
vulnerable neighbourhoods
were so for flood & heat
Flood
disadvantage

Some areas have
both high socio
spatial vulnerability
and high potential
for hazardexposure
UA/local authority breakdowns

Glasgow City





42% Scotland’s total number of extremely socially flood-vulnerable
neighbourhoods & 48% for heat.
Almost a third of all neighbourhoods within the city (31% heat; 28%
flood).
Dundee City (17%), Inverclyde (14%), Moray (14%) and
Edinburgh (11%) have the next largest proportions of their
total number of neighbourhoods classed as extremely socially
flood vulnerable
Aberdeen City, North Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire have
>=4% of their neighbourhoods in each of the highest and
lowest social flood vulnerability classes
This is without considering hazard-exposure in these areas
Heat disadvantage
in Scotland


Glasgow’s high average
socio-spatial heat
vulnerability is coupled
with tendency for
higher temperatures
But

There is a differential in
the tolerance of high
temperatures from
place to place
Case study – heat vulnerability
Individual indicators show vulnerability drivers relative to
the average Scottish neighbourhood
Higher than average Sensitivity
-Above average % <4 and ill-health
Higher than average enhanced exposure
-Extremely high proportions >5th floor
Lower adaptive capacity
-Fewer resources considerably larger % HHs income
deprived
-Potential for social isolation larger than average % of
single pensioner HHs, twice % of lone parents with
dependent children
- very low access to private transport 84% no car/van,
personal mobility issues 17% disabled
- Health care Benefit from local hospital but slightly
above average distance to local GPs
Adaptation measures
Retrofitting, e.g. shading
(louvres, etc.) e.g. flood
gates, socket relocation
Soft engineering - Increase
vegetation/other impervious cover
Land use
Buildings &
housing
Defences
Adaptation
Emergency
services
Social care
Insurance
provision
Identify areas
of transient
population 
information
provision
Community action
Understanding
pressure points
Building social networks
Enhancing mobility
Raising awareness of
who to help and how
Developed in collaboration with Aleks Kazmierczak, 2011