The role of inequality (geographic, temporal, social) is one of the least understood concepts in vulnerability science, an emergent multidisciplinary field focused on what makes people and places vulnerable to environmental threats from natural, technological, or human-induced threats. This research examines the different impacts of hazards and risks on people and the places they live and will develop new methods and models for measuring vulnerability (and resilience) to extreme events and chronic risks at the local level. Two place-based case studies will serve as test-beds for linking theory, concepts, methods, and models in a GIS-based decision support tool kit. The case study sites, Los Angeles, CA and Charleston, SC were chosen based on the mix of common and unique hazards (hurricanes, earthquakes), a range in scale-dependent complexities of the regions, the nature of the built environment, and the local knowledge of team members.
This project will provide a protocol and tool kit for gathering information to guide and advance knowledge of the changing distribution and nature of hazards vulnerability. It will transfer such knowledge and tools to the practitioner community, thus providing the scientific basis for decisions regarding hazard preparedness, planning, response, and reduction at the federal, state, and local levels. It will also help train the next generation of vulnerability scientists.
