Social environmental vulnerability approach on the COVID-19 epoch: a case study in Blumenau (SC), Brazil

Cristiane Mansur De Moraes Souza,Yasmin Mansur De Moraes Souza,Jessica Teixeira Fraga Jeremias,Patrícia Dornelles De Aguiar,Bruno Jandir Mello,Luciano Félix Florit,Ângela Maria Cavalcanti Ramalho

doi:10.33448/rsd-v10i10.18739

Abstract

There is a strong correlation between poverty indicators and the occurrence of diseases associated with environmental inequalities; therefore, it is highly necessary to explore the linkages between these inequalities and COVID- 19. This article describes a research designs made to study aspects of social environmental vulnerability that underlies the linkages between inequalities and COVID-19. This article aims to address this linkage. The objective is to explore aspects of social environmental vulnerability that underlies a case study at Blumenau, Brazil. The analysis is based on the critical question: Is there a relationship between social environmental vulnerability and COVID-19 at Blumenau? In Blumenau, where the study was carry out, the poor people are more likely to be affected from the risks arising out of the location of their homes, and this situation increases their vulnerability to floods, landslides, lack of water and exposure to open sewage. The methodology was divide into two steeps: (i) analysis of multi-temporal spread pattern of COVID-19 around the site; and (ii) analysis of the social environmental vulnerability and COVID-19 relationship. Results have shown that in Blumenau, there is a relationship between social environmental vulnerability and COVID-19. It can be said that COVID-19 emphases’ the social environmental situation in Blumenau. Based on our experience, we contend that an effective way to examine the linkages between inequalities and COVID-19 is to employ concepts and theories drawn from existing research to support guidelines, indicators and methods.

Highlights

Global warming and many human-driven changes to the environment are raising concerns in environmental and sustainability science, and in all domains of science
It is be argued that the social environmental impacts of the last decades are due to the consequences of the Anthropocene epoch
The pandemic caused by COVID-19 is one of those consequences

Summary

Introduction

Global warming and many human-driven changes to the environment are raising concerns in environmental and sustainability science, and in all domains of science. The year 2020 was marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, which directly affected human well-being, the economy, with travel restrictions, closure of cities and borders and the suspension of social and cultural economic activities. These actions resulted almost immediately in an economic recession in several countries, especially those that failed to contain the internal spread of the disease. The consequences of the pandemics are even more perverse for countries of social inequalities, lack of sewage and health services and education difficulties of attending the population Following this idea, scientists (Moser, 1998; Cutter, 2006; Adger, 2006) have argued the interdisciplinary character of the vulnerability concept. Vulnerability is been considered an important issue for the analysis of COVID-19’s spread pattern within cities

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