An indicator-based approach to assess village-level social and biophysical vulnerability of agriculture communities in Uttarakhand,India

With the growing recognition to myriad forms of current and future threats in the mountain agriculture systems,there is a pressing need to holistically understand the vulnerability of mountain agriculture communities.The study aims to assess the biophysical and social vulnerability of agriculture communities using an indicator-based approach for the state of Uttarakhand,India.A total of 14 indicators were used to capture biophysical vulnerability and 22 for social vulnerability profiles of15285 villages.Vulnerability analysis was done at village level with weights assigned to each indicator using Analytical Hierarchical Process(AHP).The results of the study highlight the presence of very high biophysical vulnerability(0.82 ± 0.10) and high social vulnerability(0.65 ± 0.15) within the state.Based on the results,it was found that incidences of high biophysical vulnerability coincide with presence of intensified agriculture land and absence of dense forest.Higher social vulnerability scores were found in villages with an absence of local institutions(like Self Helping Groups(SHGs)),negligible infrastructure facilities and higher occupational dependence on agriculture.A contrast was observed in the vulnerability scores of villages present in the three different altitudinal zones in the study area,indicating respective vulnerability generating conditions existing in these three zones.Biophysical vulnerability was recorded to be highest in the villages falling in the lower zone and lowest in the upper zone villages;whereas,social vulnerability was found to be highest in the middle zone villages and lowest in lower zone villages.Our study aids policy makers in identifying areas for intervention to expedite agriculture adaptation planning in the state.Additionally,the adaptation programmes in the region need to be more context-specific to accommodate the differential altitudinal vulnerability profiles.

A Systematic Study of Disaster Risk in Brunei Darussalam and Options for Vulnerability-Based Disaster Risk Reduction

This systematic study of disaster risk and disaster management efforts in Brunei Darussalam uncovers the reasons why floods and landslides in particular continue to inflict significant social,economic,and psychological toll.Vulnerability to the impacts of hydro-meteorological hazards continue to rise despite international awareness and improved disaster governance and information,and regardless of the vast financial and material resources spent on structural and nonstructural measures for disaster relief and community awareness.Our premise is that,a poor diagnosis of the disaster risk issue is at the root of the disaster risk dilemma in Brunei Darussalam.We conducted our vulnerability-centered disaster risk assessment based largely on the Pressure and Release(PAR) Model proposed by Wisner et al.Our research results reveal that:(1)Hazard-risk in Brunei is high due to the impact of global climate change,the country's local geography,and Brunei's relative location in the Asia–Pacific Region.Limited reporting of localized disasters to international databases however fuels the misperception of low disaster risk in Brunei;(2) High community vulnerability and disaster risk is due to limited knowledge,awareness,and motivation among the general population,which prevents effective mitigation and adaptation to low magnitude but recurrent hazardous events;and(3) Partial incorporation of disasterrisk reduction into governance structures and development plans contributes to heightened disaster risks.Integrated frameworks are proposed that can minimize social vulnerability,reduce disaster risk,and enhance community resilience and adaptive capacity as part of a strengthened governance mechanism.Coupled with improvements in preparedness,response,recovery,and reconstruction promoted by the National Disaster Management Centre(NDMC),vulnerability and disaster risk can be minimized,and a more inclusive and sustainable growth can be generated.

Adaptation Decision Support: An Application of System Dynamics Modeling in Coastal Communities

This research develops and applies a system dynamics(SD) model for the strategic evaluation of environmental adaptation options for coastal communities. The article defines and estimates asset-based measures for community vulnerability, resilience, and adaptive capacity with respect to the environmental, economic, social, and cultural pillars of the coastal community under threat. The SD model simulates the annual multidimensional dynamic impacts of severe coastal storms and storm surges on the community pillars under alternative adaptation strategies.The calculation of the quantitative measures provides valuable information for decision makers for evaluating the alternative strategies. The adaptation strategies are designed model results illustrated for the specific context of the coastal community of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. The dynamic trend of the measures and model sensitivity analyses for Charlottetown—facing increased frequency of severe storms, storm surges, and sea-level rise—provide impetus for enhanced community strategic planning for the changing coastal environment.This research is presented as part of the International Community-University Research Alliance C-Change project ‘‘Managing Adaptation to Environmental Change in Coastal Communities: Canada and the Caribbean'' sponsored by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the International Development Resource Centre.