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

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.

Mapping vulnerability of Binh Thuan coastal zone

Binh Thuan coastal zone, nearly 192,9 km shoreline, is well known for residential, recreational areas and minor industries. Shoreline is vulnerable to accelerated sea level rise (SLR) due to its low topography and its high ecological. The present study has been carried out with a view to assess the coastal vulnerability of SLR. Coastal vulnerability map has been built to the calculating results of the place vulnerability index (PVI). The PVI is derived by summing the CVI (coastal vulnerability index) and CSoVl (coastal social vulnerability index) scores. CVI is calculated from nine variables: Geology, geomorphology, coastal slope(%), shoreline change rate (m/yr), mean elevation (m), shoreline direction, mean tidal range (m), wave height (m) and SLR (mm/yr). We use two socioeconomic variables for CSoVI which are socioeconomic variable and relative distance to coast. Results of the vulnerable areas analysis indicate that 120,73 km2 is at very high vulnerable, 84,96 km2 high, 109,23 km2 moderate, 113,99 km2 low and 232,20 km2 very low. The method in this study which combine CVI, CSoVI and PVI together is new protocol of coastal vulnerability assessment for Vietnam coastal zone due to future SLR.