Places where wildfire potential and social vulnerability coincide in the coterminous United States

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Wigtil ◽  
Roger B. Hammer ◽  
Jeffrey D. Kline ◽  
Miranda H. Mockrin ◽  
Susan I. Stewart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Principal Component Analysis ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
Social Vulnerability Index ◽  
Upper Midwest ◽  
Recovery Planning ◽  
Place Vulnerability ◽  
Hazards Of Place

The hazards-of-place model posits that vulnerability to environmental hazards depends on both biophysical and social factors. Biophysical factors determine where wildfire potential is elevated, whereas social factors determine where and how people are affected by wildfire. We evaluated place vulnerability to wildfire hazards in the coterminous US. We developed a social vulnerability index using principal component analysis and evaluated it against existing measures of wildfire potential and wildland–urban interface designations. We created maps showing the coincidence of social vulnerability and wildfire potential to identify places according to their vulnerability to wildfire. We found that places with high wildfire potential have, on average, lower social vulnerability than other places, but nearly 10% of all housing in places with high wildfire potential also exhibits high social vulnerability. We summarised our data by states to evaluate trends at a subnational level. Although some regions, such as the South-east, had more housing in places with high wildfire vulnerability, other regions, such as the upper Midwest, exhibited higher rates of vulnerability than expected. Our results can help to inform wildfire prevention, mitigation and recovery planning, as well as reduce wildfire hazards affecting vulnerable places and populations.

scholarly journals A new approach to assess the impact of extreme temperature conditions on social vulnerability

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibolya Török ◽  
Adina-Eliza Croitoru ◽  
Titus-Cristian Man
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Adaptive Capacity ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Extreme Temperature ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Social Vulnerability Index ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The objective of this research is to develop a set of vulnerability indicators and to analyze the effect of climate factors on social vulnerability. While the main aim of the study is to improve the existing methodology by quantifying the effects of climate change on social vulnerability, it also represents a novel scientific contribution in the field, as it delimits for the first time in the Romanian literature the most vulnerable areas from this point of view. This study aims to facilitate the decision-making processes and planning efforts targeting the increase of resilience and adaptive capacity of local communities. By applying the principal component analysis, we have selected 45 variables and have constructed four aggregated indexes. The Climate-Related Social Vulnerability index (CleSoVI) has pointed out that the largest impact on the current vulnerability of settlements in the test region (Cluj County) can be attributed to the lack of adaptive capacity and increased poverty, the most vulnerable areas being represented by the eastern and north-western parts of the county. From a socio-economic point of view, local authorities' efforts should concentrate on reducing the vulnerability of these regions and preparing them to cope with- and adapt to the impact of climate change.

scholarly journals Application of Social Vulnerability Index to Identify High- risk Population of Contracting COVID-19 Infection: a state-level study.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Odalys Estefania Lara Garcia ◽  
Violeta Alvarez Retamales ◽  
Oswaldo A Madrid Suarez ◽  
Priyanka Parajuli ◽  
Susan Hingle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Minority Group ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
High Risk Population ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Risk Of Infection ◽  
Social Vulnerability Index ◽  
The Social

Social factors that determine the health of a population are known as the social determinants of health. During the past few weeks, as COVID-19 cases grew exponentially, the discrepancy among the number of cases distribution was evident.By applying the social vulnerability index and analyzing data from a total of 102 counties across the state of Illinois, we investigated which factors enhanced the risk of contracting the infection and which were related to a lower risk of infection. Our results showed that social factors such as belonging to a minority group, speaking English less than well, living in a multi-unit structure, and households with individuals of age group of 17 or younger were associated with a higher risk of infection. On the other hand, we found that factors such as living in a mobile home, individuals of age group 65 or older, low income per capita and, older than age 5 with disability were protective. We propose that communities with disproportionate health burdens can be identified by the application of these factors. Future efforts need to focus on decreasing the gap of disparity by modifying these social factors.

Place-Based Assessment of Intersection of Biophysical and Social Vulnerability to Flooding in Accra, Ghana

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-68
Author(s):  
Dacosta Aboagye ◽  
Elvis Attakora-Amaniampong ◽  
Ebenezer Owusu-Sekyere
Keyword(s):  
Flood Risk ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Flood Hazard ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
Flood Hazards ◽  
Social Vulnerability Index ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Resilient Communities ◽  
Index Mapping ◽  
Hazards Of Place

The relationship between flood hazards and social vulnerability is firmly on the intellectual agenda of geographers in Ghana. In an attempt to theorize and empirically examine this relationship, scholars have commonly followed a one-sided methodological strand. In this article, a triple-helix approach that relies on the application of social vulnerability index; mapping potential flood hazard zones; and examining degree of coincidence between flood hazards and social vulnerability, is used. Situating the analysis within Hazards-of-Place Model of Vulnerability, the study identifies spatial disparities in biophysical and social vulnerability within the City. It emerged that communities in the Ashiedu Keteke sub-metro were the most vulnerable based on the hazards-of-place model. Significantly, while flood risk awareness was very high among community members, the perception of flood risk management was poor. The study argues that understanding place-based vulnerability is crucial in mitigating the effect of hazards and building resilient communities.

scholarly journals Assessing the Impact of Extreme Temperature Conditions on Social Vulnerability

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8510
Author(s):  
Ibolya Török ◽  
Adina-Eliza Croitoru ◽  
Titus-Cristian Man
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Adaptive Capacity ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Extreme Temperature ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Social Vulnerability Index ◽  
Economic Point ◽  
The Impact

This research aims to improve the existing methodology by quantifying the effects of climate change on social vulnerability by developing a set of vulnerability indicators. It delimits for the first time in Romania the most vulnerable areas from this point of view and facilitates the decision-making processes and planning efforts targeting the increase of resilience and adaptive capacity of local communities. We selected 35 variables and constructed four aggregated indexes by applying the principal component analysis, and then the Climate-Related Social Vulnerability index (CleSoVI) index was derived. It pointed out that the most significant impact on the vulnerability of settlements in the test region (Cluj County) can be attributed to the lack of adaptive capacity and increased poverty. The most vulnerable areas are located in the northern and south-eastern parts of the county. From a socio-economic point of view, local authorities’ efforts should reduce the vulnerability of these regions and prepare them to cope with and adapt to the impact of climate change.

scholarly journals Social Vulnerability across the Great Lakes Basin: A County-Level Comparative and Spatial Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7274
Author(s):  
Joshua T. Fergen ◽  
Ryan D. Bergstrom
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
Social Vulnerability Index ◽  
Great Lakes Basin ◽  
Empirical Examination ◽  
Regional Patterns ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Social Vulnerabilities

Social vulnerability refers to how social positions affect the ability to access resources during a disaster or disturbance, but there is limited empirical examination of its spatial patterns in the Great Lakes Basin (GLB) region of North America. In this study, we map four themes of social vulnerability for the GLB by using the Center for Disease Control’s Social Vulnerability Index (CDC SVI) for every county in the basin and compare mean scores for each sub-basin to assess inter-basin differences. Additionally, we map LISA results to identify clusters of high and low social vulnerability along with the outliers across the region. Results show the spatial patterns depend on the social vulnerability theme selected, with some overlapping clusters of high vulnerability existing in Northern and Central Michigan, and clusters of low vulnerability in Eastern Wisconsin along with outliers across the basins. Differences in these patterns also indicate the existence of an urban–rural dimension to the variance in social vulnerabilities measured in this study. Understanding regional patterns of social vulnerability help identify the most vulnerable people, and this paper presents a framework for policymakers and researchers to address the unique social vulnerabilities across heterogeneous regions.

scholarly journals Applying the Social Vulnerability Index as a Leading Indicator to Protect Fire-Based Emergency Medical Service Responders’ Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 8049
Author(s):  
Emily J. Haas ◽  
Alexa Furek ◽  
Megan Casey ◽  
Katherine N. Yoon ◽  
Susan M. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Response ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
Fire Service ◽  
Household Composition ◽  
Fire Departments ◽  
Social Vulnerability Index ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Leading Indicator ◽  
Increased Risk

During emergencies, areas with higher social vulnerability experience an increased risk for negative health outcomes. However, research has not extrapolated this concept to understand how the workers who respond to these areas may be affected. Researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) merged approximately 160,000 emergency response calls received from three fire departments during the COVID-19 pandemic with the CDC’s publicly available Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) to examine the utility of SVI as a leading indicator of occupational health and safety risks. Multiple regressions, binomial logit models, and relative weights analyses were used to answer the research questions. Researchers found that higher social vulnerability on household composition, minority/language, and housing/transportation increase the risk of first responders’ exposure to SARS-CoV-2. Higher socioeconomic, household, and minority vulnerability were significantly associated with response calls that required emergency treatment and transport in comparison to fire-related or other calls that are also managed by fire departments. These results have implications for more strategic emergency response planning during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as improving Total Worker Health® and future of work initiatives at the worker and workplace levels within the fire service industry.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of mass treatment of Schistosoma mansoni infection in socially vulnerable areas of a state in northeastern Brazil, 2011–2014

2021 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Flávia Silvestre Outtes Wanderley ◽  
Ulisses Montarroyos ◽  
Cristine Bonfim ◽  
Carolina Cunha-Correia
Keyword(s):  
Schistosoma Mansoni ◽  
Correspondence Analysis ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Multiple Correspondence Analysis ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Mass Treatment ◽  
Social Vulnerability Index ◽  
Treatment Information

Abstract Background To assess the effectiveness of mass treatment of Schistosoma mansoni infection in socially vulnerable endemic areas in northeastern Brazil. Method An ecological study was conducted, in which 118 localities in 30 municipalities in the state of Pernambuco were screened before 2011 and in 2014 (after mass treatment). Information on the endemic baseline index, mass treatment coverage, socio-environmental conditions and social vulnerability index were used in the multiple correspondence analysis. One hundred fourteen thousand nine hundred eighty-seven people in 118 locations were examined. Results The first two dimensions of the multiple correspondence analysis represented 55.3% of the variability between locations. The human capital component of the social vulnerability index showed an association with the baseline endemicity index. There was a significant reduction in positivity for schistosomes. For two rounds, for every extra 1% of initial endemicity index, the fixed effect of 13.62% increased by 0.0003%, achieving at most 15.94%. Conclusions The mass treatment intervention helped to reduce transmission of schistosomiasis in areas of high endemicity. Thus, it can be recommended that application of mass treatment should be accompanied by other control actions, such as basic sanitation, monitoring of intermediate vectors and case surveillance.

Impact of Social Vulnerability on Access to Educational Programming Designed to Enhance Living Donation

2021 ◽  
pp. 152692482110460
Author(s):  
Alexis J. Carter ◽  
Rhiannon D. Reed ◽  
A. Cozette Kale ◽  
Haiyan Qu ◽  
Vineeta Kumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Living Donor ◽  
Research Question ◽  
College Education ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
Social Vulnerability Index ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Control And Prevention ◽  
Transplant Candidate

Introduction Transplant candidate participation in the Living Donor Navigator Program is associated with an increased likelihood of achieving living donor kidney transplantation; yet not every transplant candidate participates in navigator programming. Research Question We sought to assess interest and ability to participate in the Living Donor Navigator Program by the degree of social vulnerability. Design Eighty-two adult kidney-only candidates initiating evaluation at our center provided Likert-scaled responses to survey questions on interest and ability to participate in the Living Donor Navigator Program. Surveys were linked at the participant-level to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability Index and county health rankings and overall social vulnerability and subthemes, individual barriers, telehealth capabilities/ knowledge, interest, and ability to participate were assessed utilizing nonparametric Wilcoxon ranks sums tests, chi-square, and Fisher's exact tests. Results Participants indicating distance as a barrier to participation in navigator programming lived approximately 82 miles farther from our center. Disinterested participants lived in areas with the highest social vulnerability, higher physical inactivity rates, lower college education rates, and higher uninsurance (lack of insurance) and unemployment rates. Similarly, participants without a computer, who never heard of telehealth, and who were not encouraged to participate in telehealth resided in areas of highest social vulnerability. Conclusion These data suggest geography combined with being from under-resourced areas with high social vulnerability was negatively associated with health care engagement. Geography and poverty may be surrogates for lower health literacy and fewer health care interactions.

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