Hazard Mitigation Planning
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Vulnerability Assessment
Vulnerability assessments are systematic examinations of
building elements, facilities, population groups or components of the economy to
identify features that are susceptible to damage from the effects of natural
hazards. Vulnerability is a function of the prevalent hazards and the
characteristics and quantity of resources or population exposed to those
effects. Vulnerability can be estimated for individual structures, for specific
sectors or for geographic selected geographic areas, e.g. areas with the
greatest development potential or already developed areas in hazardous zones.
The results of a vulnerability assessment can be used to prioritize mitigation
activities and can help inform disaster recovery, mitigation and response
planning. Caribbean examples of vulnerability assessments of critical facilities
and structures and to the effects of climate change are available, as are
summaries of multiple vulnerability assessment methodologies.
Critical Infrastructure
Examples of critical infrastructure vulnerability assessments Are available
for a number of sectors: [CDMP]
- Public Infrastructure: The probable maximum loss (PML) for public
infrastructure from a category 3 hurricane event has been estimated for
Dominica, St. Kitts/Nevis and St. Lucia. Infrastructure categories considered
in this estimate included electrical power generation facilities, airports,
seaports, road networks, water and sanitation facilities, waste management
sites, schools and hospitals. [CDMP
Probable Maximum Loss Study]
- Electrical Utilities: Vulnerability audits have been conducted for
hydropower generation installations in Dominica; electrical power generation,
transmission and distribution facilities in St. Lucia; and electrical power
transmission and distribution in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. A manual on
vulnerability reduction in electrical utilities in the Caribbean was developed
based on these audits. [CDMP
Vulnerability Audits for Caribbean Electrical Utilities]
- Schools/Shelters: Vulnerability assessments have been undertaken
for selected schools in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada and
St. Kitts and Nevis. Comprehensive vulnerability reduction plans were
developed for schools in Antigua/Barbuda, Dominica and St. Kitts/Nevis.
[CDMP
School/Shelter Vulnerability Reduction]
Antigua/Barbuda and St. Kitts/Nevis. In support of the the development
of the information base for hazard mitigation planning, vulnerability
assessments were undertaken for critical public infrastructure in
Antigua/Barbuda and St. Kitts/Nevis. These vulnerability assessments were
carried out using critical infrastructure databases and hazard maps developed
under the project. In both countries, the vulnerability assessments were
automated in the existing national geographic information system databases.
[PGDM
Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment and Mapping]
Structural
Appropriate building practices (design, construction and maintenance) are a
critical determinant of the resilience of the built environment when faced with
the stresses imposed by natural hazards. A thorough audit of existing buildings
can identify significant vulnerabilities prior to the advent of a hazardous
event.
Schools, Shelters, Government Facilities. Structural vulnerability
assessments of schools and shelters have been carried out in many countries and
territories in the region, including Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica,
Grenada and St. Kitts and Nevis. In Antigua/Barbuda and St. Kitts/Nevis,
structural vulnerability assessments have been carried out for selected
government buildings and buildings used as emergency shelters, to identify
retrofit needs and suitability for insurance. [CDMP
School/Shelter Vulnerability Reduction] [PGDM
Structural Vulnerability Assessments]
Infrastructure Failure. Studies of infrastructure and facilities that
failed due to the effects of natural hazards are important to understand the
causes of failure, to inform hazard-resistant design and to identify important
retrofit measures. In 1997-8, case studies of four facilities that incurred
significant damage in hazard events were carried out to assist in understanding
the causes of infrastructure failure and the costs and benefits of mitigation
measures. [CDMP
Failed Infrastructure Study]
Coastal Vulnerability and Climate Change
Coastal Infrastructure. Under the Coastal Infrastructure Design,
Construction and Maintenance (CDCM) training program, materials were compiled to
assist with the assessment of hazard risk to support the design of coastal
infrastructure. Coastal hazards are addressed in Courses 1 and 2.
[CDCM
Training Program Course Materials]
Coastal Vulnerability to Climate Change. Under the Coastal
Vulnerability and Risk Assessment component of the CPACC project, pilot
assessments were carried out in Barbados, Grenada, and Guyana. Included were a
review of coastal vulnerability assessment models and the application of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change common methodology in the three
countries and throughout the region. [CPACC
Coastal Vulnerability and Risk Assessment]
Vulnerability Assessment Methodologies
ECLAC Methodology. The UN Economic Commission for Latin America and
the Caribbean (ECLAC) has extensive expertise in post-disaster impact
assessment. Many of the techniques developed for post-disaster assessments apply
to a pre-disaster vulnerability assessments. [Manual
for Estimating the Socio-Economic Effects of Natural Disasters]
Vulnerability Assessment Techniques and Applications (VATA). The OAS
and the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration have
collaborated to organize a series of workshops on vulnerability assessment
techniques. The purpose of these workshops is to create networking opportunities
and dialogues for exploring new ideas and potential partnerships in the
development and application of vulnerability assessments and indexing.
Vulnerability assessment methodologies in use in the hemisphere are also being
compiled as part of this activity. The next VATA workshop will be organized by
the Caribbean Development Bank and will be held in Barbados in December 2002.
[NOAA
Vulnerability Assessment Techniques and Applications]
Local Mitigation Strategy. Vulnerability Assessment Supplements. The
Florida Department of Community Affairs has developed a series of manuals to
assist Florida cities and counties with the development of local mitigation
strategies. The vulnerability assessment components are presented in two
separate documents. Part 1 provides guidance on how to identify all types of
hazards threatening a jurisdiction, how to define the vulnerabilities to those
hazards and how to estimate the risk posed. Part 2 covers the identification,
definition and prioritization of mitigation initiatives to minimize or eliminate
the vulnerabilities identified. [Florida DCA Local
Mitigation Strategy Vulnerability Assessment Supplements:
Part 1 and
Part 2]
Risk Control Planning Workbook, Asian Urban Disaster Mitigation Program.
This workbook was developed as part of the Sri Lanka Urban Multi-Hazard Disaster
Mitigation Project. There are three dimensions to risk discussed in this
workbook: (1) elements exposed to harm (exposure inventory), (2) the nature of
the hazard having potential to cause harm, and (3) the vulnerability of the
exposure inventory to hazard impacts. [Risk
Control Planning Workbook]
Policy
Development |
Sector
Assessments |
Hazard
Mapping | Vulnerability Assessment
GIS and Data
Collection |
Marketing Mitigation
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