Understanding vulnerability in your area

Sept 13th 2012

Sarah Lindley,

University of Manchester

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 well-being.

The central question: how is vulnerability distributed across different individuals and groups?

However, the characterisation of vulnerability raises a number of prior questions:1. How should well-being be conceptualised and

measured? 2. What factors are relevant to understanding how

external stresses convert into changes in well-being?

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 respond

Ability to recover

Adaptive capacity

Exposure(Enhanced)

Vulnerability

Sensitivity

Ability to prepare

Socio-spatial vulnerability

Hazard

Exposure

Climate disadvantage

But understanding related climate disadvantage requires consideration of the potential for contact with a flood or heat-related event too

Socio-spatial heat vulnerability domainsDimension Domain Example explanation

Sensitivity: Biophysical

characteristics

Age Old and young are more physically susceptible to harm

Health Those with pre-existing illnesses are more susceptible

Exposure: Physical

neighbourhood

attributes

Physical environment Amount of green or blue space; availability of gardens

Physical geography Physical location (e.g. elevation)

Housing

characteristics

Type of building (high-rise dwellings)

Preparation: Taking

precautions

Income Ability to obtain technical solutions (e.g. air conditioning)

Tenure Ability to modify living environments

Information use Ability to use/access information

Response: Avoiding

heat stress during an

event

Income Ability to use technical and other solutions

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 heat stress if it

occurs

Information use Ability to understand what help is available and what to do

Social networks Availability of personal/community networks

Mobility General mobility/disability

Service access Availability of GPs

Socio-spatial flood vulnerability domainsDimension 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 attributes

Physical environment Amount of green or blue space; availability of gardens

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

Response: Avoiding losses 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 event

Income Ability to replace lost goods, find temporary accommodation

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

Socio-spatial flood vulnerability in Scotland

Overall, most extremely socially vulnerable locations are urban and there is a strong coastal component.

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Case study A –flood vulnerabilityIndividual 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 vulnerabilityIndividual 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 socio-spatial 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 hazard-exposure

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

Adaptation

Land use Buildings & housing

Emergency services

Social care

Community action

Soft engineering - Increase vegetation/other impervious cover

Retrofitting, e.g. shading (louvres, etc.) e.g. flood gates, socket relocation

Building social networks Raising awareness of who to help and how

Understanding pressure points

Developed in collaboration with Aleks Kazmierczak, 2011

Insurance provision

Enhancing mobility

DefencesIdentify areas of transient population information provision