Assessment of Social Vulnerability to Natural Hazards in Nepal

Type Journal Article - Natural Hazards Earth System Sciences
Title Assessment of Social Vulnerability to Natural Hazards in Nepal
Author(s)
URL https://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci-discuss.net/nhess-2017-137/nhess-2017-137.pdf
Abstract
This paper disseminates district-wise social vulnerability to natural hazards in Nepal. Disasters like earthquake,
flood, landslide, epidemic and drought are common in Nepal. Every year thousands of people are killed along with huge
economic and environmental losses are reported in Nepal due to various natural disasters. Although natural hazards are well
recognized in Nepal, quantitative as well as qualitative social vulnerability mapping does not exist until now. This study aims
to fulfil the hiatus of such quantification considering district level social vulnerability to natural hazards using available census.
To perform district level vulnerability mapping, 13 variables were selected and aggregated indexes were plotted in Arc GIS
environment to depict the level of social vulnerability for all 75 districts in Nepal. Only 4 districts were found to be under very
low social vulnerability whereas 46 districts (61%) were found to be under moderate to high social vulnerability status.
Vulnerability mapping highlights the immediate need for decentralized frameworks to tackle natural hazards in district level
and the results of this study can contribute to preparedness, planning and resource management, inter-district coordination,
contingency planning and public awareness efforts.

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