Assessing changes in village-level social vulnerability based on census data

With the onset of climate change and its adverse effects, the focus on disaster risk reduction and management is increasing. Climate related extremes are on the rise and coupled with these are their escalating impacts on human populations. The measurement of vulnerability of populations exposed to climate-amplified risk is increasingly becoming a priority in disaster risk reduction and management initiatives. This research develops a social vulnerability index which is applied on raw, disaggregated census data for the whole Philippines for the years 2000 and 2010. The effort is to determine trajectories of vulnerability between the two census years and investigate the factors that affect the decrease and increase in vulnerability. An analysis of the geographical distribution of changes in vulnerability status will provide an opportunity to assess the factors that contribute to these changes. Assessing changes in social vulnerability at the village level can help identify what particular factors affect the variability of social vulnerability over time. An understanding of these factors that positively and negatively influence vulnerability can contribute significantly to local development efforts and initiatives by targeting specific elements that address the root causes of vulnerability.