Environmental Vulnerability Index Research Articles

Is the coastal vulnerability index a suitable index? Review and proposal of alternative indices for coastal vulnerability to sea level rise

The Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) has been widely applied around the world. This study provides a review of the suitability of the variables and mathematical expression of the CVI and proposes a new Integrated Coastal Vulnerability Index (ICVI), comparing both indices for 4 study areas in the southern Caribbean. The ICVI assesses vulnerability to sea level rise by integrating the Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI) and the Socioeconomic Vulnerability Index (SVI). Regarding the variables that constitute the indices, it is noted that the CVI includes vulnerability and hazard variables and therefore it should be considered a risk index rather than a vulnerability index. The EVI includes geomorphological vulnerability variables, like the CVI, but also ecological ones. Regarding the mathematical expression, the use of the arithmetic mean versus the formula proposed for the CVI is discussed based on the comparison of the results obtained for EVI and SVI in the 4 study areas. In addition, the use of absolute (between 0 and 1) or relative (based on percentiles) limits in these indices, and the use of weights or not, are also discussed. The conclusion is that the use of relative thresholds necessarily forces the identification of very low to very high vulnerability zones for any study, and the use of weights on the variables increases the subjectivity of the assessment, all of which impedes the comparability of the index at a global level. Therefore, the ICVI, with the formula based on the arithmetic mean, with absolute limits between 0 and 1 and without variable weightings, is preferable to the CVI for use at the global level.

Environmental vulnerability index in Dipteryx alata: influence of abiotic stresses on central processes of plant physiology and metabolism

Environmental vulnerability index in Dipteryx alata: influence of abiotic stresses on central processes of plant physiology and metabolism

Fuzzy inference system for environmental vulnerability assessment of protected areas: a case study of the Itupararanga environmental protection area in southeastern Brazil

ABSTRACT In this paper, we present an environmental vulnerability index (EVI) based on the fuzzy inference system. The factors used for the formulation of the EVI were forest factor (FF), hydrological factor (HF) and environmental factor (EF), and used the Itupararanga environmental protection area (EPA) as a case study. The results showed that for the years studied (2012 and 2019), most forest fragments were classified as having a very low FF. Almost half of the water bodies presented a very low HF in 2012, which was also the case in 2019. Most areas of the EPA were classified as having a medium EF in 2012, while in 2019 they were classified as low. From these indices, in the two years, it was observed that most areas were classified with a very low EVI. Despite the very low EVI, it was observed that fragments with areas smaller than 50 hectares were suppressed. Therefore, it is necessary to encourage the creation of public policies aimed at the conservation of areas subject to anthropogenic pressure and restoration of forests in suppressed areas.

Environmental vulnerability assessment of the Doce River basin, southeastern Brazil.

Environmental vulnerability is an important tool to understand the natural and anthropogenic impacts associated with the susceptibility to environmental damage. This study aims to assess the environmental vulnerability of the Doce River basin in Brazil through Multicriteria Decision Analysis based on Geographic Information Systems (GIS-MCDA). Natural factors (slope, elevation, relief dissection, rainfall, pedology, and geology) and anthropogenic factors (distance from urban centers, roads, mining dams, and land use) were used to determine the environmental vulnerability index (EVI). The EVI was classified into five classes, identifying associated land uses. Vulnerability was verified in water resource management units (UGRHs) and municipalities using hot spot analysis. The study employed the water quality index (WQI) to assess the EVI and global sensitivity analysis (GSA) to evaluate the model input parameters that most influence the basin's environmental vulnerability. The results showed that the regions near the middle Doce River were considered environmentally more vulnerable, especially the UGRHs Guandu, Manhuaçu, and Caratinga; and 35.9% of the basin has high and very high vulnerabilities. Hot spot analysis identified regions with low EVI values (cold spot) in the north and northwest, while areas with high values (hot spot) were concentrated mainly in the middle Doce region. Water monitoring stations with the worst WQI values were found in the most environmentally vulnerable areas. The GSA determined that land use and slope were the primary factors influencing the model's response. The results of this study provide valuable information for supporting environmental planning in the Doce River basin.

The Creation of a Multidomain Neighborhood Environmental Vulnerability Index Across New York City.

Compared to previous studies commonly using a single summary score, we aimed to construct a multidomain neighborhood environmental vulnerability index (NEVI) to characterize the magnitude and variability of area-level factors with the potential to modify the association between environmental pollutants and health effects. Using the Toxicological Prioritization Index framework and data from the 2015-2019 U.S. Census American Community Survey and the 2020 CDC PLACES Project, we quantified census tract-level vulnerability overall and in 4 primary domains (demographic, economic, residential, and health status), 24 subdomains, and 54 distinct area-level features for New York City (NYC). Overall and domain-specific indices were calculated by summing standardized feature values within the subdomains and then aggregating and weighting based on the number of features within each subdomain within equally-weighted primary domains. In citywide comparisons, NEVI was correlated with multiple existing indices, including the Neighborhood Deprivation Index (r = 0.91) and Social Vulnerability Index (r = 0.87) but provided additional information on features contributing to vulnerability. Vulnerability varied spatially across NYC, and hierarchical cluster analysis using subdomain scores revealed six patterns of vulnerability across domains: 1) low in all, 2) primarily low except residential, 3) medium in all, 4) high demographic, economic, and residential 5) high economic, residential, and health status, and 6) high demographic, economic and health status. Created using methods that offer flexibility for theory-based construction, NEVI provided detailed vulnerability metrics across domains that can inform targeted research and public health interventions aimed at reducing the health impacts from environmental exposures across urban centers.

Neighborhood environmental vulnerability and pediatric asthma morbidity in US metropolitan areas

Research suggests demographic, economic, residential, and health-related factors influence vulnerability to environmental exposures. Greater environmental vulnerability may exacerbate environmentally related health outcomes. We developed a neighborhood environmental vulnerability index (NEVI) to operationalize environmental vulnerability on a neighborhood level. We explored the relationship between NEVI andpediatric asthma emergency department (ED) visits (2014-19) in 3 US metropolitan areas: Los Angeles County,Calif; Fulton County, Ga; and New York City,NY. We performed separate linear regression analyses examining the association between overall NEVI score and domain-specific NEVI scores (demographic, economic, residential, health status) with pediatric asthma ED visits (per 10,000) across each area. Linear regression analyses suggest that higher overall and domain-specific NEVI scores were associated with higher annual pediatric asthma ED visits. Adjusted R2 values suggest that overall NEVI scores explained at least 40% of the variance in pediatric asthma ED visits. Overall NEVI scores explained more of the variance in pediatric asthma ED visits in Fulton County. NEVI scores for the demographic, economic, and health status domains explained more of the variance in pediatric asthma ED visits in each area compared to the NEVI score for the residential domain. Greater neighborhood environmental vulnerability was associated with greater pediatric asthma ED visits in each area. The relationship differed in effect size and variance explained across the areas. Future studies can use NEVI to identify populations in need of greater resources to mitigate the severity of environmentally related outcomes, such as pediatric asthma.

A Larger Perspective on Nepal’s Transitional Strategy to Graduate from Less Developing Countries (LDC) to Developing Country (DC)

Given the fact that Nepal is right on the cusp of exclusively graduating from the Less Development Countries (LDC) category to Developing Countries, as the assessment by the United Nations. It is time to reorient, revamp, and re-caliber Nepal’s policies to achieve the sustainable, fair, just, and inclusive growth that Nepal and its people so aptly deserve. Nepal has opted to graduate in a peculiar time, where the world seems to be facing huge impending problems such as climate change which has fundamentally changed how we view development as a process. Nepal is eligible to secure graduation with two criteria human assessment index (HAI), and the environmental vulnerability index (EVI). For most of the process, in modern times, Nepal has mostly been reliant on its development partners and donors to catch up, mostly because this old historic state has always been rather reactive in terms of disruptive transformations of the industrial age. Now Nepal has caught significantly up to a threshold that it can begin to forge its path ahead for the development and realization of its national goal. For this, the time to think bigger, and larger and the time to compete with the world has arrived. Nepal should find a way forward that stays true not only to its rich heritage, identity, history, and resources but also to match its development mechanism, framework, and process largely with the world, as the development paradigms transit to a sustainable mode of development, given the backdrop of human-induced climate change. In such a scenario, the paper tries to highlight the need for a “pivot” in the Nepalese economy for a sustainable LDC transition for larger national rejuvenation. It tries to show how a pivot strategy in such a reality would look that matches such complexity and nuances of modern times and likewise puts the transition in perspective.

Spatial Integration of Urban Runoff Modeling, Heat, and Social Vulnerability for Blue-Green Infrastructure Planning and Management

Climate change exacerbates environmental challenges caused by urban growth. This study offers a multifaceted approach to understanding socioenvironmental vulnerability in cities by considering fine-scale spatial distribution of social and physical metrics overlaid with runoff and surface temperature (ST) data. Stormwater runoff depth and surface temperature data for micro-subbasins in Philadelphia were estimated and integrated to create an environmental vulnerability index. Social variables representing poverty, the elderly population, population density, and buildings with basements were used to develop a social vulnerability index. Simple analysis based on medians of combined environmental and social vulnerability indexes identified specific subbasins of the city that are most vulnerable to heat and flooding impacts of climate change. Hotspot analysis of combined social and environmental vulnerability data identified regions of the city that would benefit most from a focus on implementation of new green-blue infrastructures. Results indicated that neighborhoods in southern Philadelphia are most vulnerable to flooding and heat. The outlined approach can be used for any city, and provides city managers with a city-scale visualization for prioritizing areas in immediate need of climate mitigation practices.

A Review of Environmental Vulnerabilities Related to Nepal’s Graduation Process from Least Developed to a Developing Country Status

Nepal has long aspired to graduate from the Least Development Country (LDC) to Developing Country category as defined by the United Nations system. Nepal had met two of the three graduating criteria and could have technically graduated from the LDC status in 2015. However, based on the Nepal government’s request to defer the review, the new 2021 assessment by the United Nations Committee for Development Policy (CDP) recommended that the country should graduate from the LDC status by 2026. The graduation requires not only meeting pre-defined development-related thresholds, but also maintaining sustained improvements in at least two consecutive assessments in two of three areas: gross national income (GNI) per capita, human assets index (HAI), and economic and environmental vulnerability index (EnVI). Nepal’s economy is dependent on several environment-related factors such as agriculture, tourism, hydro-power, and natural resources. This economic development is also solidly tied to the environmental well-being of the country. The authors agree with the Nepal government’s desire to graduate from the LDC status. In this paper, we review the graduation process, assess indicators of the Environmental Vulnerability (EnVI), review the current situation with respect to environmental vulnerability, and point out where it needs to develop appropriate goals, policies, and programs to help the country graduate and join the ranks of developing countries.

Temporal-spatial assessment of the vulnerability of human settlements in urban agglomerations in China.

Although many studies have focused on the livability and satisfaction of the human settlement environment in Chinese cities, few have paid attention to the vulnerability of human settlements in urban agglomerations in China (VHSUAC). The analytic hierarchy process and the entropy method are combined in this paper to comprehensively weight the constructed four-dimensional evaluation index system. Then, we identified the key factors influencing VHSUAC. Finally, we use the environmental vulnerability index (EVI) to calculate the vulnerability value from 2008 to 2017 and display the vulnerability changes over time and space using ArcGIS software. The results show that (1) from the perspective of temporal pattern, VHSUAC showed a downward trend from 2008 to 2017, but the degree of decline in each urban agglomeration was not equal. There is a certain difference in the vulnerability value of the human settlement environment between the urban agglomeration and its inner cities, and their direction of change is not always the same. (2) From the perspective of spatial pattern, VHSUAC has obvious regional heterogeneity, presenting a spatial pattern of "low coastal areas and high inland areas." Coastal urban agglomerations pay more attention to the optimization of the human settlement environment. (3) In terms of influencing factors, the vulnerability values of the four system indicators are listed in the following order: economic support environment>urban ecological environment>public service environment>urban living environment. We found that domestic waste and sewage treatment have a more obvious impact on VHSUAC.

Socioeconomic and Environmental Vulnerability Index in the Brazilian Amazon: The Case of the Carajás Railroad

This article assesses the socioeconomic and environmental vulnerability of the 28 municipalities of the Carajás Railroad territory, located in Pará and Maranhão states, Brazilian Amazon. We constructed a Socioeconomic and Environmental Vulnerability Index (IVSEA) applying the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) on a set of indicators built using 1991, 2000, and 2010 censuses data. In this vulnerability analysis at the levels, we also used the Social Progress Index (SPI) of 2014 and 2018, spanning approximately 30 years. Moreover, we analyzed the spatially-weighted percentage changes of surrounding municipalities’ IVSEA and SPI across the censuses and over the 2014-2018 period, respectively. We found that municipalities on the Maranhão's side of the railroad (e.g., Monção and Anajatuba) are more vulnerable than those on the Pará’s. São Luís (Maranhão) and Parauapebas (Pará) are the least vulnerable in the territory. There is a high spatial correlation between the municipalities with their clusters occurring according to the degree of vulnerability. Consistent with the literature, a challenge to improve effectiveness and efficiency in interventions by companies, policymakers, and other stakeholders to reduce vulnerabilities and build resilient and more sustainable regions remains.

Physical vulnerability of the coastal zone under wind farms influence of the cities of Pedra Grande and São Miguel do Gostoso/RN, Brazil

This study consists of determining the physical vulnerability of the region of São Miguel do Gostoso and Pedra Grande (in northeastern Brazil) before and after wind farm installation. To perform such an investigation, an analysis of the coastline vulnerability of the aforementioned area was conducted, considering changes occurred in the past 30 years and spatially presented separately. The Natural Vulnerability Index (NVI) and Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI) were calculated through analysis using thematic maps of geomorphology, geology, soils, vegetation, and land use and occupation variables, with their dimensionality and subjectivity determined by the execution of the hierarchical analytical process (HAP) and principal component analysis (PCA). High and very high vulnerability together showed proportions between 18 and 30% in all NVI and EVI scenarios. The Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) was defined using two methodologies for the three scenarios of sea level rise established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): the first one includes six physical or hydrodynamic variables, and the second includes, beyond these, three more variables of anthropogenic action. In all of the applied scenarios, the medium and high vulnerabilities dominated all along the coastline, with the second method being the most optimistic. We can conclude that the installation of the wind farm complex contributed to the increase of the vulnerability of the local ecosystems regarding the three investigated indices; however, it was not the preponderant factor for the determination of the CVI vulnerability degree.

Coupling analysis on ecological environment fragility and poverty in South China Karst

Ecological environment and poverty have a strong spatial coupling. It is of great significance to study the interaction mechanism between them for ecological restoration and targeted poverty alleviation in ecologically fragile areas. Taking Guizhou Plateau, the center of South China Karst, as a research object, this study constructs a multi-dimensional poverty and ecological vulnerability coupling index system and analyses the coupling relationship between ecological environment and poverty from a village scale, using the comprehensive coupling coordination degree model and hot spot analysis method, followed by classifying the types of poverty villages. Our results suggest that in space, the multi-dimensional poverty index is high in the south, north, and northwest of Guizhou, while, the overall ecological environment quality is high in the west and low in the east. Obvious differences are identified in the spatial distribution pattern between the multi-dimensional poverty index and ecological environment quality, with only point overlap. The multi-dimensional poverty index and ecological environmental vulnerability index of most poor villages have little difference, and the coupling degree is high, extreme coupling accounting for 89.60%. The coupling coordination degree is mainly moderate coordination and basic coordination, poverty and ecological environment are not in high harmony. 69.3% of the poverty villages in the Guizhou Province belong to the type of good ecology-general poverty. Therefore, in the process of development-oriented poverty reduction, according to the coupling relationship between ecology and poverty of the poverty villages. more attention is required for economic development in the east of Guizhou and the ecological restoration in the west.

Evaluation of Environmental Quality for Abandoned Coal Mine Based on Environmental Vulnerability Index

With the increasingly prominent environmental problems of abandoned coal mines, this paper discussed the significance of environmental vulnerability assessment of abandoned coal mines. Environmental vulnerability assessment is essentially an assessment of environmental quality. At present, the research object of environmental impact assessment method and program of mine is mostly single factor. However, the impact of abandoned coal mine on the environment is multifaceted, which was summarized into nine prominent common problems. Based on these nine factors, the environmental vulnerability assessment model of abandoned coal mine based on multifactor evaluation was established by using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method, the ranking criteria of nine factor indexes was proposed, the evaluation process was established, and the evaluation index system of environmental vulnerability of abandoned coal mines was established. The environmental vulnerability assessment method of abandoned coal mines has universal applicability, which can provide the basis for the government and enterprises to carry out treatment and planning of abandoned coal mine and promote the optimization of governance effect.

The Use of Dam Environmental Vulnerability Index (DEVI) for Assessing Vulnerability of Bengawan Solo Watershed, Indonesia

Bengawan Solo is the longest river in Java, but current conditions show that its watershed is in a critical condition. Deforestation was very intensive in the last three decades that contributed to degradation of the watershed. Other factor contributing to the degradation is dam construction. However, our knowledge on the impact of dam construction on the environment and its vulnerability is poorly understood. Here, we assessed vulnerability of the watershed based on physical properties such as existing dams, morpho-dynamic activities, and deforested area. The study aims to identify the vulnerability of the Bengawan Solo watershed based on dam environmental vulnerability index (DEVI) approach, and to analyse the dominant variable contributing to DEVI. For calculating DEVI, several data were needed including land cover, rainfall, stream water stage, soil type, stream network, and dams. The results showed that Bengawan Solo watershed had moderate to high vulnerability (60%). Moderate level was identified for Madiun and Wonogiri sub-watershed, while high level was in Cepu and Babat sub-watershed. Our findings revealed that morpho-dynamic activities as represented by sediment rate and stream water stage had contributed to the high DEVI value as in Cepu and Babat sub-watershed. Further, influence of dams in this research was not dominant implying that any improvement to the DEVI approach remains research challenges. The improvement of the approach is expected to better identify the impact of dam construction on environment, situated in other regions than Amazon, where it was firstly developed.

Socio-economic and environmental vulnerability to heat-related phenomena in Bucharest metropolitan area

In the recent years, the effects of extreme climate phenomena (mainly heat-related) on agricultural crops, infrastructure and human health have become increasingly severe as a result of their complex interactions with the particularities of the urban/rural habitat, as well as the social and economic factors. In Romania, heat-related phenomena (e.g. drought, heat waves) are affecting wide areas in the southern half of the territory where the study area (Bucharest Metropolitan Area) lies. The paper aims to develop a multi-criteria vulnerability assessment using both quantitative and qualitative methods. 23 indicators were selected and processed in order to assess various components of socio-economic and environmental vulnerability to heat-related phenomena using the statistical data available at local administrative units (LAU). The indicators were grouped into the three key components of vulnerability (potential exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity) on two dimensions (socio-economic and environmental) resulting two indexes: Socio-Economic Vulnerability Index (SEVI) and Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI). Finally, an integrated Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) (using Hull score, average 50 and standard deviation 14) was computed.

Vulnerability of the biota in riverine and seasonally flooded habitats to damming of Amazonian rivers

Abstract The extent and intensity of impacts of multiple new dams in the Amazon basin on specific biological groups are potentially large, but still uncertain and need to be better understood. It is known that river disruption and regulation by dams may affect sediment supplies, river channel migration, floodplain dynamics, and, as a major adverse consequence, are likely to decrease or even suppress ecological connectivity among populations of aquatic organisms and organisms dependent upon seasonally flooded environments. This article complements our previous results by assessing the relationships between dams, our Dam Environmental Vulnerability Index (DEVI), and the biotic environments threatened by the effects of dams. Because of the cartographic representation of DEVI, it is a useful tool to compare the potential hydrophysical impacts of proposed dams in the Amazon basin with the spatial distribution of biological diversity. As the impact of Amazonian dams on the biota of both rivers and periodically flooded riparian environments is severe, DEVIs from different Amazonian tributary basins are contrasted with patterns of diversity and distribution of fish, flooded forest trees and bird species. There is a consistent relationship between higher DEVI values and the patterns of higher species richness and endemism in all three biological groups. An assessment of vulnerability at the scale of tributary basins, the assessment of biodiversity patterns related to DEVI, and the analysis of teleconnections at basin scale, demonstrate that recent construction of dams is affecting the biota of the Amazon basin. The evidence presented here predicts that, if currently planned dams are built without considering the balance between energy production and environmental conservation, their cumulative effects will increase drastically and represent a major threat to Amazonian biodiversity.

Developing Vulnerability Index to Quantify Urban Heat Islands Effects Coupled with Air Pollution: A Case Study of Camden, NJ

Extreme heat events at urban centers in combination with air pollution pose a serious risk to human health. Among these are financially distressed cities and neighborhoods that are facing enormous challenges without the scientific and technical capacity for planning and mitigation. The city of Camden is one of those economically distressed areas with a predominantly minority population, a high unemployment rate, high poverty rates, and poor air quality (PM2.5 and ozone), and it remains vulnerable to heat events. This paper focuses on studying a coupled effect of Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) and Ozone-PM2.5 pollution at the neighborhood-scale in the city of Camden, using fine scale remotely sensed land-surface temperature and air quality data from the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) Modelling System in the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) platform. To assess the impact of urban microclimate on the city of Camden, NJ, residents’ health, we identified several environmental and social parameters as the root causes of vulnerability imposed by extreme-heat and poor air quality. Vulnerability in terms of environment and social wellbeing was spatially quantified as two conceptual vulnerability-index models (i.e., environmental vulnerability index (EVI) and a social vulnerability index (SVI)) using multiple linear regression algorithm. Factors such as remotely sensed earth surface properties, built-environment components, air quality, and socio-economic data were incorporated in a holistic geographic approach to quantify the combined effect. Surface temperature gradient and Proportional Vegetation (Pv) generated from 30 m resolution Landsat 8 were sampled along with other variables in the city of Camden, NJ. Models incorporating Pv suggest better fit than models with normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Water fraction (33.5%, 32.4%), percentage imperviousness (32.5%, 32%), Pv (20.5%, 19.6%), and digital elevation model (DEM) (9%, 8%) have the highest contributions in both models. Two output maps identified the vulnerable neighborhoods in the city through comprehensive GIS analysis: Lanning Square, Bergen Square, Central Waterfront, Gateway, Liberty Park, and Parkside. This can provide useful information for planners and health officials in targeting areas for future interventions and mitigations.

Environmental vulnerability index: An evaluation of the water and the vegetation quality in a Brazilian Savanna and Seasonal Forest biome

Abstract Landscapes constitute the manifestation of natural and anthropic elements and its structure is the result of physical, biological, political, economic and social interactions, fragmented or connected for different land uses. Drawing on this, our study aims to analyze the environmental landscape quality using ecological indices in the Tiete-Jacare Hydrographic Basin – SP, Brazil between 2007 and 2017. A set of Environmental Quality Indices was used to analyze the susceptibility of the ecological components to the effects of human activities. The Environmental Quality Index of Vegetation, the Environmental Quality Index of Water Resources and the Environmental Vulnerability Index were used to assess the condition of ecological sustainability of the landscape. It was identified a reduction in the areas with native vegetation with a loss of 2.72%, representing over 32,149 ha, an expansion of agricultural areas of 2.05% (24,507.53 ha) and consequently a reduction of the environmental quality in the landscape. These impacts compromise the ecosystem structure and ecosystem services, per example, through the impacts on soils that support vegetation cover as the major sources of energy for terrestrial life. The observed intensification of anthropogenic activities and the corresponding reduction of natural areas often lead to the loss of biodiversity and the benefits that its ecosystem services provided to people.

Socio-Ecological Vulnerability Assessment and the Resulting in Spatial Pattern: A Case Study of Semarang City

The aim of this paper is to examine the socio-ecological vulnerability and the resulting in spatial pattern on a city scale. The assessment methods for vulnerability-resilience in the social and ecological have been broadly examined, such as the Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI) and disaster risk assessment by the BNPB (Badan Penanggulangan Bencana Nasional). However, in some cases, these methods are suitable only in disastrous vulnerability and on a larger scale. The assessment method of socio-ecological systems in this paper has been modified to a city-scale and per the data availability. By using spatial data, this paper analyses the connection between vulnerability-resilience of socio-ecological systems and land coverage pattern. Based on the case study, the finding shows that almost 28% of Semarang city areas are socio-ecologically vulnerable. Mostof the land use of the vulnerable areas is currently used for urban built-up area and agriculture. For future research, this method can be used for vulnerability assessment of the socio-ecological system in other cities and as a consideration for decision making in spatial planning.