Operational indicators for assessing vulnerability and resilience in the context of natural hazards and disasters

Abstract

This paper reviews relevant literature on vulnerability and resilience indicators, which are theoretically proposed, applied and empirically tested by scholars over the last few decades. Vulnerability and resilience are implicitly connected to each other along with the adaptive capacities of communities that are confronted with disasters. The indicators for vulnerability and resilience assessment are used interchangeably by a number of scholars. The assessment of vulnerability and resilience has been a great challenge to researchers in selecting indicators from national to community level, and deciding on assessment method. The literature also does not provide any standardised assessment method. This paper presents the existing sets of indicators for vulnerability and resilience, based on intensive literature review and proposes operational indicators as applied by many scholars, and some are also verified by the authors in the context of earthquake prone area of Baluchistan. Finally, the indicators link the implications with the disaster risk reduction, which is the current thrust in disaster management practices by fostering a paradigm shift from hazard assessment to vulnerability, and building resilient community in line with the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015.