Social vulnerability to floods: Review of case studies and implications for measurement

TLDR

Measuring social vulnerability to hazards is challenged by the need for metrics that reflect contextual factors. The authors conduct a meta‑analysis of 67 flood disaster case studies (1997–2013) to profile the leading drivers of social vulnerability to floods. The analysis finds that demographic, socioeconomic, and health factors are the primary drivers of social vulnerability to floods, while risk perception and coping capacity also play significant roles that are often underrepresented, and the influence of these drivers varies by disaster stage and national setting, underscoring the need for context‑specific indicators.

Abstract

A leading challenge in measuring social vulnerability to hazards is for output metrics to better reflect the context in which vulnerability occurs. Through a meta-analysis of 67 flood disaster case studies (1997–2013), this paper profiles the leading drivers of social vulnerability to floods. The results identify demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, and health as the leading empirical drivers of social vulnerability to damaging flood events. However, risk perception and coping capacity also featured prominently in the case studies, yet these factors tend to be poorly reflected in many social vulnerability indicators. The influence of social vulnerability drivers varied considerably by disaster stage and national setting, highlighting the importance of context in understanding social vulnerability precursors, processes, and outcomes. To help tailor quantitative indicators of social vulnerability to flood contexts, the article concludes with recommendations concerning temporal context, measurability, and indicator interrelationships.