Social vulnerability to natural hazards

Abstract

This report examines social vulnerability, how it might be understood in the context of natural hazards in Europe, and how social vulnerability can be addressed to increase social capacity. The report is a key deliverable from Work Package 4 of the CapHaz-Net FP7 project. The objective of the report is to review the existing ‘state of the art’ literature on social vulnerability, and particularly that within the Europe, including both academic and practitioner literature. In addition the report will examine how the concept of social vulnerability, and approaches to measuring it, have been or could be applied to natural hazards. Along with the literature review, three empirical examples written by members of the research team have been included from past natural hazard events to illustrate particular approaches to studying social vulnerability, and to raise some key issues in our understanding of the concept.