Development and application of a Socioeconomic Vulnerability Indicator Framework (SVIF) for Local Climate Change Adaptation in Taiwan

Hao-Tang Jhan,Rhoda Ballinger,Azmath Jaleel,Kuo-Huan Ting

doi:10.3390/su12041585

Hao-Tang Jhan, Rhoda Ballinger + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su12041585

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Abstract

This paper outlines the development of a socioeconomic vulnerability indicator framework (SVIF) which was designed to provide a tool to inform bespoke local adaptation actions along the Taiwanese coast. The framework incorporates a range of diverse indicators, from ones that are related to demographic characteristics to others that represent economic and infrastructure features. As such, the framework encapsulates multiple and complex dimensions of socio-economic vulnerability rather than deriving a less nuanced single index; this is an approach that, whilst more commonly employed elsewhere, may mask critical features of socioeconomic vulnerability at local levels. The paper describes the piloting of the SVIF as it quantifies and visually summarizes the susceptibility and resilience of four townships (Mailiao, Kauho, Linbian and Jiadong) along the exposed coast of Southwest Taiwan. The paper demonstrates the SVIF’s potential in characterizing specific aspects of socio-economic vulnerability that local decision-makers could use to tailor local adaptation. The SVIF was successful in differentiating between the four local areas, highlighting clear differences between urban and rural townships. With further development by using a more participative approach and expanding its application to wider geographical contexts both in Taiwan and further afield, the authors are confident that the SVIF has the potential to provide a useful tool for local adaptation.

Highlights

Over the last few decades, climate change and related events have greatly amplified risks to the development and security of coastal communities across the globe
This section highlights the findings from the application of the socioeconomic vulnerability indicator framework (SVIF), demonstrating the relative levels of socioeconomic vulnerability of the four townships
While numerous international studies have focused on vulnerability assessment and associated rankings, many consider a single ranking of vulnerability as not sufficiently nuanced to be able to adequately inform locally specific climate change adaptation

Summary

Introduction

Over the last few decades, climate change and related events have greatly amplified risks to the development and security of coastal communities across the globe (for example, [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]). This paper focuses on Taiwan, where such issues are very real. Facing a combination of frequent natural hazards, notably earthquakes and typhoons, alongside high levels of coastal development, Taiwan is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world [9,10,11]. Too, have highlighted the increased impacts of such events, exacerbated by changes in rainfall patterns and sea level rises over the last few decades [13,14]

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