Question

In: Economics

1. What do you feel are the most significant initial considerations in determining a community's vulnerability...

1. What do you feel are the most significant initial considerations in determining a community's vulnerability to natural hazards?

2. Is it important to determine the asset inventory of your community to develop a mitigation plan?

3. What are some of the most important assets to be considered in comprising the plan?

Solutions

Expert Solution

1. The concept of vulnerability encompasses a variety of definitions. In general, vulnerability means the potential to be harmed. Vulnerability to natural hazards is thus the potential to be harmed by natural hazards. Some people and places are more vulnerable to certain hazards than other people and places. While any one extreme event may be unusual, there are broad trends in natural hazards. These trends are due to characteristics of both natural systems and human systems.

Human Factors- The severity of a disaster depends on both the physical nature of the extreme event and the social nature of the human populations affected by the event. Here are some important human factors that tend to influence disaster severity. A core point here is that different people, even within the same region, have different vulnerability to natural hazards.

Wealth. Wealth is one of the most important human factors in vulnerability. Wealth affects vulnerability in several ways. The poor are less able to afford housing and other infrastructure that can withstand extreme events.

Education. Education is another important factor in hazard impacts. With education, we can learn how to avoid or reduce many impacts. When populations are literate, then written messages can be used to spread word about hazards in general or about specific disasters

Governance. The nature of both formal governments and informal governance in a population is another important factor. Governments can advance policies that reduce vulnerability. They can establish agencies tasked with reducing vulnerability,

Technology. The capabilities of the available technology can also play a large role in disasters. Technology can improve our ability to forecast extreme events, withstand the impacts of the events, and recover afterward. Technology is closely tied to wealth, education, and governance. Wealthier, more educated societies are more likely to have more advanced technology

2. Each participating jurisdiction identifies assets at risk from natural hazards. Assets are defined broadly to include anything that is important to the character and function of a community. Although all assets may be affected by hazards, some assets are more vulnerable because of their physical characteristics or socioeconomic uses. The purpose of an asset inventory is to identify specific vulnerable assets in your community. When updating a mitigation plan, the planning team will update the asset inventory to reflect current conditions.

3. Some of the most important assets to be considered in comprising the plan are:

People- People are your most important asset. The risk assessment should identify areas of greater population density as well as populations that may have unique vulnerabilities. Most hazard mitigation plans focus on physical vulnerability, that is, the risks hazards pose to structures such as houses, apartments, schools, hospitals and infrastructure. However, certain populations or groups may be especially vulnerable to disasters due to age, poverty, race, disability or language barriers. These socially vulnerable populations often face greater challenges preparing for, coping with and recovering from disasters. Hazard mitigation plans should address both physical and social vulnerability.

Economy- After a disaster, economic resiliency drives recovery. Every community has specific economic drivers that are important to understand when planning to reduce the impacts of hazards and disasters to the local economy. Economic assets can be described in terms of direct or indirect losses; for example, building or inventory damage is direct, but functional downtime and loss of employment wages are indirect losses that can be calculated. In addition to the primary economic sectors in the community, such as manufacturing, agricultural, or service sectors, major employers and commercial centers also support the local economy

Built Environment- The built environment includes existing structures, infrastructure systems, critical facilities, and cultural resources. Areas of future growth and development are also an important component when assessing the building environment.

Cultural resources. This inventory should also include cultural and historic assets that are unique or irreplaceable. Museums, unique geological sites, concert halls, parks, stadiums, or any asset that is important to the community can be considered a cultural resource.

Future development. An effective way to reduce future losses in your community is to avoid development in known hazard areas and to enforce the development of safe structures in other areas. In other words, keep people, businesses, and buildings out of harm’s way from the beginning. The plan should provide a general description of community land uses and development trends so that mitigation options can be considered in future land use decisions to ensure safe development


Related Solutions

1.What do you feel are the most significant initial considerations in determining a community's vulnerability to...
1.What do you feel are the most significant initial considerations in determining a community's vulnerability to natural hazards? 2. Is it important to determine the asset inventory of your community to develop a mitigation plan? 3. What are some of the most important assets to be considered in comprising the plan?
1. What do you feel are the most significant initial considerations in determining a community's vulnerability...
1. What do you feel are the most significant initial considerations in determining a community's vulnerability to natural hazards? 2. Is it important to determine the asset inventory of your community to develop a mitigation plan? 3. What are some of the most important assets to be considered in comprising the plan?
Which of the following considerations is the most important one in the use of a vulnerability...
Which of the following considerations is the most important one in the use of a vulnerability scanning tool. a. Multiple functionalities cannot replace the importance of a scanner being kept current to the latest vulnerabilities. b. A vulnerability scanner is as good as the last time it was updated. c. The graphical user interface addresses ease of use rather than the effectiveness of the scanner. d. A vulnerability scanner does not need to have the ability to delete viruses.
Describe and explain what you feel is the most significant risk of information systems.
Describe and explain what you feel is the most significant risk of information systems.
Questions 1. What are the principal considerations in determining an overall credit policy? How do the...
Questions 1. What are the principal considerations in determining an overall credit policy? How do the actions of competitors affect a firm's credit policy? 3. 2. Why do exchange rates pose a challenge for financial managers of companies with international operations? 4. 3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of both debt and equity financing? 5. 4. Compare and contrast the three sources of short-term financing. 6. 5. Define venture capitalist, private equity fund, sovereign wealth fund, and hedge fund....
Questions 1. What are the principal considerations in determining an overall credit policy? How do the...
Questions 1. What are the principal considerations in determining an overall credit policy? How do the actions of competitors affect a firm's credit policy? 3. 2. Why do exchange rates pose a challenge for financial managers of companies with international operations? 4. 3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of both debt and equity financing? 5. 4. Compare and contrast the three sources of short-term financing. 6. 5. Define venture capitalist, private equity fund, sovereign wealth fund, and hedge fund....
What do you feel is society’s most successful cultural good?
What do you feel is society’s most successful cultural good?
1. What discipline in the humanities do you feel has historically been the most important in...
1. What discipline in the humanities do you feel has historically been the most important in the influence of a culture? Why? 2. What artist have had the greatest impact on the arts? 3. According to researcch, what do you believe to be the most defining moment in the history of the arts? Identify the time period and discuss what was happening at that time and place that may have contributed to the production of their work. 4. What are...
What do you feel is the most important aspect of the care that a clinical nurse...
What do you feel is the most important aspect of the care that a clinical nurse specialist provides?
What do you feel is most important in indicating success of an INCLUSIVE BREAKTHROUGH for a...
What do you feel is most important in indicating success of an INCLUSIVE BREAKTHROUGH for a company? Give explanations and examples.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT