Profile of Populations Socially Vulnerable to Floods

Reference

Factor	Most Vulnerable	Vulnerability to Flood	Citation(s)	Potential Indicators
Age	Children, elderly	- Higher mortality - Higher morbidity - Higher mental trauma during and post-flood - Lower recovery rates	Laska and Morrow, 2006; Jonkman et al., 2009; Collins et al., 2013; Muñoz and Tate, 2016	% Children % Elderly
Race, ethnicity	Nonwhite, recent immigrants, undocumented immigrants, non-native English speakers	- Higher death and injury rates - Negative post-flood health outcomes - Less flood insurance - Lower trust in authority for post-flood assistance	Zahran et al., 2008; Adeola and Picou, 2012; Collins et al., 2013; Maldonado et al., 2016; Muñoz and Tate, 2016; Hamel et al., 2017; Li et al., 2010	% Black % Hispanic % Asian % Native American % Nonwhite % English proficient
Income	Poor	- Limited mitigation and recovery resources - Limited post-flood housing - Higher post-flood health impacts - Disproportionately reside in flood-prone areas - Differential rates of flood exposure, evacuation, and return - Lower recovery rates	Green et al., 2007; Masozera et al., 2007	Per capita income % Poverty
Functional needs	Disabled, homeless	- Increased flood mortality - Accessibility barriers to shelter, post-flood housing, transportation, and employment	Hemingway and Priestly, 2014; Stough et al., 2016	% Disabled % Social security recipients
Health	Chronically ill, uninsured	- Increased flood mortality - Heightened risk of waterborne diseases	Wade et al., 2004; Zahran et al., 2008; Lowe et al., 2013	% Uninsured
Gender	Female, female-headed households	- Higher incidence of disaster-induced physical health problems - Additional family care responsibilities - Domestic violence	Enarson and Fordham, 2000; Adeola and Picou, 2012	% Female % Female-headed household
Housing tenure	Renters	- Limited flood mitigation funding - Less access to post-disaster housing programs - Lower post-flood return rate	Laska and Morrow, 2006; Finch et al., 2010; Kamel, 2012	% Renters Rental burden
Transportation	Household lacking vehicle access	- Evacuation barriers	Colten, 2006; Bullard et al., 2008; Van Zandt et al., 2012	% Households without car ownership
Education	Low educational attainment	- Lower flood awareness understanding of flood mitigation - Lower rates of flood insurance coverage and settlements	Fekete, 2009; Van Zandt et al., 2012; Rufat et al., 2015	% High school degree

Harzard, Exposure, and vulnerability

Inequitable patterns of US flood risk in the Anthropocene NCC

Flood exposure and poverty in 188 countries Nat Comm

THe authors use a global 30 meter hydraulic simulation to project future 1-in-100-year flood events, overlaid with population data and socioeconomic profiles.

Too much and not enough Nat Sustainability We have too much intensity-based studies while not having enough impact-based studies, including the impact of hazards, exposures, and vulnerabilities that are closely tied to people’s living conditions.

Large and inequitable flood risks in Los Angeles, California Nat. Sustain.

This article, the authors produced 3-m flood map based on 1-in-100-year flood events. They mapped the inundated area with social economic indicators such as vulnerabilities and exposures, represented in a composite indicator: Gini coefficient. It was found that flood risks are disproportionately higher for non-Hispanic Black and disadvantaged populations.

Inequities in the distribution of flood risk under floodplain restoration and climate change scenarios

Scenario-based exploration of how climate change and floodplain restoration could contribute/reduce flood risks for community.

Incorporating indigenous knowledge

Indigenous flood control and management knowledge and flood disaster risk reduction in Nigeria’s coastal communities: An empirical analysis

Exploring the integration of local and scientific knowledge in early warning systems for disaster risk reduction: a review

“The monitoring and forecasting component of the EWS has to go from giving a warning about what the weather will be to a warning about what the weather will do. The World Meteorological Organization calls this impact-based forecasting (IBF), developing a forecast of the potential consequences of a climate hazard event in terms of its effects on people, infrastructure, etc.”

Actionable knowledge

Actionable knowledge and the art of engagement

This is a review article about what is actionable knowledge and how to produce actionable knowledge.