A socio-spatial vulnerability assessment for disaster management: insights from the 2012 emilia earthquake (italy)

Understanding the interacting factors that influence social vulnerability: a case study of the 2016 central Italy earthquake

“…Variables (see Table 2) were selected using a deductive approach, drawing on the results of previous research by the authors (Frigerio and De Amicis, 2016; Frigerio et al, 2016) and a large amount of literature in which different authors identified different variables with increasing or decreasing social vulnerability during each phase of the disaster cycle. An extensive literature review targeted empirical studies that focused on social vulnerability assessments and outcomes in the context of DRR—see, inter alia, Cutter (1996); Bolin and Stanford (1998); Morrow (1999); Cutter, Boruff, and Shirley (2003); Adger et al (2009); Oliveira Mendes (2009); Flanagan et al (2011); Pelling and Wisner (2012).…”

“…Some large‐scale studies of national vulnerability have been conducted. A similar approach to that of Cutter et al (2003) was employed in Italy to calculate a SVI (Frigerio and De Amicis, 2016; see also Frigerio et al, 2018). The work of Frigerio and De Amicis (2016) aimed to understand better the socioeconomic characteristics of the Italian population and how they affect ability to react to catastrophic natural events.…”

“…Social vulnerability has been combined with seismic hazard using a risk matrix, resulting in an exposure map (Frigerio et al, 2016). These two national‐level studies of social vulnerability (Frigerio and De Amicis, 2016; Frigerio et al, 2016) yielded a low‐resolution appraisal of the distribution of social vulnerability and seismic exposure throughout the Italian Peninsula. Although detailed information was not included, these studies highlighted the concentration of high‐vulnerability and high‐risk areas and are helpful in directing more specific local analyses.…”

“…Drawing on knowledge of social vulnerability (and related indicators), as well as relevant works and the results of the three studies mentioned above (Frigerio and De Amicis, 2016; Frigerio et al, 2016, 2018), this paper applies the concept of social vulnerability to the DRR context on a census scale, focusing on the area impacted by the 2016 central Italy earthquake. A consolidated method was used to determine how to evaluate and quantify social vulnerability to natural hazards.…”

“…Understandably, socially vulnerable communities exposed to natural hazards have received the most attention from DRR specialists because groups already disadvantaged before a disaster tend to be harmed most by such events (Carnelli and Frigerio, 2016).…”