Vulnerability index

Last updated

A vulnerability index is a measure of the exposure of a population to some hazard. Typically, the index is a composite of multiple quantitative indicators that via some formula, delivers a single numerical result. Through such an index "diverse issues can be combined into a standardised framework...making comparisons possible". [1] For instance, indicators from the physical sciences can be combined with social, medical and even psychological variables to evaluate potential complications for disaster planning.

Contents

The origin of vulnerability indexes as a policy planning tool began with the United Nations Environmental Program. One of the participants in the early task forces has also conducted secondary research documenting the evolution of the analytic tool through various stages. The term and methodology then expanded [2] through medical literature and social work as discussed by Dr. James O'Connell of Boston Healthcare for the Homeless. [3] [4] [5]

Basic methodology

The basic methodology of constructing a vulnerability index is described by University of Malta researcher Lino Briguglio who developed an economic vulnerability index (EVI) for describing the economic vulnerability of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). [6] [7] The individual measures are weighted according to their relative importance. A cumulative score is then generated, typically by adding the weighted values. Decision trees can evaluate alternative policy options. Much of the original research has been evaluated by Lino Briguglio and presenters at Oxford, providing a body of secondary source material.

Earlier use

A composite vulnerability index grew out of the work of South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC), Fiji, and the Expert Group on Vulnerability Indexes [8] affiliated with the United Nations, in response to a call made in the Barbados Plan of Action, the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). [9]

Bruguglio participated in development of the vulnerability index model for international organizations of small island developing states. [10] University of Malta also hosts the Islands and Small States Institute, Foundation for International Studies. Other institutional participants included the New Zealand Official Development Assistance (NZODA) Programme. [9] In 1996, the concept of a composite vulnerability index had been tentatively taken up by Commonwealth policy analysts. [11] In 1997, official background papers of the SIDS unit reflected the term "vulnerability index" at least internally. [12] It was also advanced in Commonwealth channels. [13] By 1997, the term was approved for publication by the staff of the UN Secretary General in the SG's Report on Development of a Vulnerability Index for SIDS. [14] This concept was subsequently adopted by other experts in that field. [15] and explicitly named as such. [16]

In a 1999 Technical Report for SOPAC, Kaly et al. discussed more focused vulnerability indexes. A subsection of that report was entitled "Vulnerability index – environment" and the report also discussed the concept of "Environmental vulnerability index".[ citation needed ]

Extension of the general concept

The IPCC embraced vulnerability as a key category in 2001. [17] A 2002 paper then applied a vulnerability indexing model to analysis of vulnerability to sea level rise for a US coastal community. [18] At a 2008 Capacity Building Seminar at Oxford, the "Climate Vulnerability Index" [1] was presented with an application to the protection of tourist economies, which may be important to small island states and others. By the time of this seminar, vulnerability indexes were established as governance tools. However, despite existing vulnerability assessment methodologies, vulnerability assessments are heavily influenced by data availability, data reliability, extent, scale, rating methods of vulnerability indicators, and interpretation of the 'vulnerability' and related concepts. As a result, there are many frameworks and indices available which are attuned to specific systems, areas, or circumstances, rather than a comprehensive definition or framework. [19]

In hazard planning

The concept has been extended and applied in dealing with risk from natural hazards and the part that population metrics play in making such a situation into a disaster. In the USA this has been done at a county level. And is run by the Hazards and Vulnerability Research Institute [20] since 2003.

In medicine

In 2005 a "Histopathological Plaque Vulnerability Index" was proposed. [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Tuvalu</span>

Tuvalu is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, midway between Hawaii and Australia, with a population of 11,192 per the 2017 census. The economy of Tuvalu is constrained by its remoteness and lack of economies of scale. Government revenues largely come from fishing licences ; direct grants from international donors ; and income from the Tuvalu Trust Fund. The lease of its highly fortuitous .tv Top Level Domain (TLD) also contributes revenue. The sale of stamps since the independence of Tuvalu in 1976 has been an important source of revenue for the country and government. However, such revenue has significantly declined in recent years. Tuvalu has hardly any tourism. It has no tour guides, tour operators or organised activities and no cruise ships visit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Developing country</span> Nation with a lower living standard relative to more developed countries

A developing country is a sovereign state with a less developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreement on which countries fit this category. The terms low and middle-income country (LMIC) and newly emerging economy (NEE) are often used interchangeably but refers only to the economy of the countries. The World Bank classifies the world's economies into four groups, based on gross national income per capita: high, upper-middle, lower-middle, and low income countries. Least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states are all sub-groupings of developing countries. Countries on the other end of the spectrum are usually referred to as high-income countries or developed countries.

The Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) was an inter-governmental regional organisation dedicated to providing services to promote sustainable development in the countries it serves. In 2010, its functions had been transferred to the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), thus ending SOPAC as a separate entity. Today, SOPAC is a division of the SPC with its main office in Suva, Fiji.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alliance of Small Island States</span> Intergovernmental organization of low-lying coastal and small island countries

Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) is an intergovernmental organization of low-lying coastal and small island countries. AOSIS was established in 1990, ahead of the Second World Climate Conference. The main purpose of the alliance is to consolidate the voices of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to address global warming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small Island Developing States</span> Developing countries that are small island countries

The Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are a grouping of developing countries which are small island countries and tend to share similar sustainable development challenges. These include small but growing populations, limited resources, remoteness, susceptibility to natural disasters, vulnerability to external shocks, excessive dependence on international trade, and fragile environments. Their growth and development are also held back by high communication, energy and transportation costs, irregular international transport volumes, disproportionately expensive public administration and infrastructure due to their small size, and little to no opportunity to create economies of scale. They consist of some of the most vulnerable countries to anthropogenic climate change.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human Development Report</span> Annual report by the Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Programme

The Human Development Report (HDR) is an annual Human Development Index report published by the Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The Economic vulnerability index is one of the criteria used by the United Nations Committee for Development Policy, an advisory body to the United Nations Economic and Social Council, in the identification of Least Developed Countries. It is a composite of eight indicators:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fragile States Index</span> Annual report for politically vulnerable countries

The Fragile States Index is an annual report mainly published and supported by the United States think tank the Fund for Peace. The FSI is also published by the American magazine Foreign Policy from 2005 to 2018, then by The New Humanitarian since 2019. The list aims to assess states' vulnerability to conflict or collapse, ranking all sovereign states with membership in the United Nations where there is enough data available for analysis. Taiwan, Northern Cyprus, Kosovo and Western Sahara are not ranked, despite being recognized as sovereign by one or more other nations. The Palestinian Territories were ranked together with Israel until 2021. Ranking is based on the sum of scores for 12 indicators. Each indicator is scored on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being the lowest intensity and 10 being the highest intensity, creating a scale spanning 0−120.

The Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI) is a measurement devised by the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC), the United Nations Environment Program and others to characterize the relative severity of various types of environmental issues suffered by 243 enumerated individual nations and other geographies. The results of the EVI are used to focus on planned solutions to negative pressures on the environment, whilst promoting sustainability.

Professor Lino Briguglio is a Maltese Professor of Economics and former politician, internationally known for his work on islands and small states studies. He currently directs the Islands and Small States Institute of the University of Malta. Formerly he was director of the University Gozo Campus and for a time also chaired the Board of Trustees of the Small States Network for Economic Development, which was funded by the World Bank. He was Head of the Economics Department and of the Banking and Finance Department at the University of Malta, as well at CEO of the Foundation for International Studies, located in Valletta, Malta.

The Vulnerability Index is a survey and analysis methodology for "identifying and prioritizing the street homeless population for housing according to the fragility of their health". It is a pragmatic methodology based on concern and inquiry into the reasons for recurring fatalities of homeless living in the outdoor urban context. It was developed by Jim O'Connell of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gender Inequality Index</span> United Nations index for gender inequality

The Gender Inequality Index (GII) is an index for the measurement of gender disparity that was introduced in the 2010 Human Development Report 20th anniversary edition by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). According to the UNDP, this index is a composite measure to quantify the loss of achievement within a country due to gender inequality. It uses three dimensions to measure opportunity cost: reproductive health, empowerment, and labor market participation. The new index was introduced as an experimental measure to remedy the shortcomings of the previous indicators, the Gender Development Index (GDI) and the Gender Empowerment Measure (GEM), both of which were introduced in the 1995 Human Development Report.

Prof The Honourable Bishnodat Persaud CHB, Ph.D, FRSA was a Guyanese economist who served as Alcan Professor of Sustainable Development at the University of the West Indies, and Director of Economic Affairs, Commonwealth Secretariat. In November 2013 he was awarded The Companion of Honour in the Barbados Independence Day Honours List for distinguished national achievement and merit for his outstanding contribution to the regional and international public service.

Climate resilience is defined as the "capacity of social, economic and ecosystems to cope with a hazardous event or trend or disturbance". This is done by "responding or reorganising in ways that maintain their essential function, identity and structure while also maintaining the capacity for adaptation, learning and transformation". The key focus of increasing climate resilience is to reduce the climate vulnerability that communities, states, and countries currently have with regards to the many effects of climate change. Efforts to build climate resilience encompass social, economic, technological, and political strategies that are being implemented at all scales of society. From local community action to global treaties, addressing climate resilience is becoming a priority, although it could be argued that a significant amount of the theory has yet to be translated into practice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Index (statistics)</span> Statistical term, a compound measure in statistics

In statistics and research design, an index is a composite statistic – a measure of changes in a representative group of individual data points, or in other words, a compound measure that aggregates multiple indicators. Indexes – also known as composite indicators – summarize and rank specific observations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Effects of climate change on small island countries</span>

The effect of climate change on small island countries can be extreme because of low-lying coasts, relatively small land masses, and exposure to extreme weather. The effects of climate change, particularly sea level rise and increasingly intense tropical cyclones, threaten the existence of many island countries, island peoples and their cultures, and will alter their ecosystems and natural environments. Several Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are among the most vulnerable nations to climate change.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue economy</span> Economy based on exploitation and preservation of the marine environment

Blue economy is a term in economics relating to the exploitation, preservation and regeneration of the marine environment. Its scope of interpretation varies among organizations. However, the term is generally used in the scope of international development when describing a sustainable development approach to coastal resources. This can include a wide range of economic sectors, from the more conventional fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, coastal, marine and maritime tourism, or other traditional uses, to more emergent activities such as coastal renewable energy, marine ecosystem services, seabed mining, and bioprospecting.

Netatua (Neta) Pelesikoti, also known as Netatua Pelesikoti Taufatofua, was an environmental scientist from Tonga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sustainable Development Goal 14</span> 14th of 17 Sustainable Development Goals to conserve life below water

Sustainable Development Goal 14 is about "Life below water" and is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015. The official wording is to "Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development". The Goal has ten targets to be achieved by 2030. Progress towards each target is being measured with one indicator each.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change vulnerability</span> Assessment of relative vulnerability to climate change and its effects

Climate change vulnerability is a concept that describes how strongly people or ecosystems are likely to be affected by climate change. It is defined as the "propensity or predisposition to be adversely affected" by climate change. It can apply to humans and also to natural systems. Related concepts include climate sensitivity and the ability, or lack thereof, to cope and adapt. Vulnerability is a component of climate risk. Vulnerability differs within communities and across societies, regions, and countries, and can increase or decrease over time.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Climate Vulnerability Index:relevance to the Tourism Sector" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-16. Retrieved 2011-06-23.
  2. ↑ "Homelessness and the Vulnerability Index: A Guide to Registry Week Results in the Omaha Metro Region" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-26. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
  3. ↑ Juneau Economic Development Council (2009). "Vulnerability Index: Prioritizing the Street Homeless Population by Mortality Risk" (PDF). Common Ground. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  4. ↑ Padgett, Deborah; Henwood, Benjamin F.; Tsemberis, Sam J. (2016). Housing First: Ending Homelessness, Transforming Systems, and Changing Lives. Oxford University Press. pp. 115–116. ISBN   978-0-19-998980-5.
  5. ↑ Rothschild, Steve (11 January 2012). The Non Nonprofit: For-Profit Thinking for Nonprofit Success. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 33–35. ISBN   978-1-118-18022-8.
  6. ↑ Pereira, Edwina E.; Steenge, Albert E. (1 September 2022). "Vulnerability and Resilience in the Caribbean Island States; the Role of Connectivity". Networks and Spatial Economics. 22 (3): 515–540. doi: 10.1007/s11067-021-09533-w . ISSN   1572-9427.
  7. ↑ Briguglio, Lino (1992). "Preliminary Study on the Construction of an Index for Ranking Countries According to their Economic Vulnerability". UNCTAD/LDC/Misc.4.
  8. ↑ Pantin, D. (1997). Alternative Ecological Vulnerability Indicators for Developing Countries with Special Reference to SIDS. Report prepared for the Expert Group on Vulnerability Index. UN(DESA), 17–19 December 1997.
  9. 1 2 "SOPOAC Technical Report 275" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2011-06-23.
  10. ↑ Briguglio, L. (1992). Preliminary Study on the Construction of an Index for Ranking Countries According to their Economic Vulnerability, UNCTAD/LDC/Misc.4 (1992).
  11. ↑ Wells, J. (1996). Composite Vulnerability Index: A Preliminary Report. London: Commonwealth Secretariat.
  12. ↑ United Nations – DPCSD (1997). Vulnerability Index (Revised Background Paper). SD-SIDS Unit.
  13. ↑ Wells, J. (1997). Composite Vulnerability Index: A Revised Report. London: Commonwealth Secretariat.
  14. ↑ United Nations (1997). Report of the Secretary-General on the Development of a Vulnerability Index for Small Island Developing States (Advance Unedited Version to be submitted to the Commission for Sustainable Development, Sixth Session, 20 April-1 May 1998, and to the Committee for Development Planning, 32nd session, 4–8 May 1998).
  15. ↑ Easter, C. (1998). 'Small States and Development: A Composite Index of Vulnerability' in Small States: Economic Review and Basic Statistics, Commonwealth Secretariat, December 1998
  16. ↑ Crowards, T. (1999). An Economic Vulnerability Index for Developing Countries, with Special Reference to the Caribbean: Alternative Methodologies and Provisional Results. Caribbean Development Bank, March 1999.
  17. ↑ IMPACTS, ADAPTATION, AND VULNERABILITY/Climate Change 2001: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability is the most comprehensive and up-to-date scientific assessment of the consequences of, and adaptation responses to, climate change.
  18. ↑ Vulnerability of coastal communities to sea-level rise: a case study of Cape May County, New Jersey, USA
  19. ↑ Wolters, Michel L.; Kuenzer, Claudia (2015). "Vulnerability assessments of coastal river deltas - categorization and review". Journal of Coastal Conservation. 19 (3): 345–368. doi:10.1007/s11852-015-0396-6. S2CID   127950375.
  20. ↑ "SoVI Frequently Asked Questions". Archived from the original on 2012-07-24. Retrieved 2013-01-27.
  21. ↑ Tang, Dalin; et al. (December 2005). "Local Maximal Stress Hypothesis and Computational Plaque Vulnerability Index for Atherosclerotic Plaque Assessment". Ann Biomed Eng. 33 (12): 1789–801. doi:10.1007/s10439-005-8267-1. PMC   1474005 . PMID   16389527.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.