Understanding Urban Risk: Insights from MYRIAD-EU’s VulneraCity Project
Are we all affected by disasters in the same way? How can we better understand what makes our cities vulnerable to natural hazards? What are the underlying factors, or drivers, of vulnerability, and how do they interact to amplify the impact of disasters? These questions are central to VulneraCity, a comprehensive research initiative launched by the MYRIAD-EU project. This initiative has recently introduced a research brief and an animation to explain these concepts in an engaging and accessible way to relevant stakeholders.
VulneraCity Database
MYRIAD-EU’s VulneraCity database compiles 1,460 unique drivers of urban vulnerability. Sourced from over 400 scientific articles, this extensive repository covers six different types of hazards. VulneraCity aims to establish a solid theoretical basis for understanding and evaluating urban vulnerability.
Why Focus on Urban Vulnerability?
Understanding urban vulnerability is crucial for developing effective policies and strategies to mitigate the impact of natural hazards in metropolitan areas. Traditional vulnerability assessments often lack a clear theoretical foundation, with 85% of such studies not adequately grounded. Moreover, conventional models often oversimplify the relationship between vulnerability drivers and impacts. VulneraCity counters this by incorporating a wide range of empirical data and conceptualising six types of vulnerability dynamics, in addition to vulnerability drivers.
Recommendations
Given the context-dependent nature of vulnerability, it is vital to conduct assessments in close collaboration with local stakeholders, scientists, and policymakers. This ensures that assessments accurately reflect local conditions and realities, making the findings more relevant and actionable. Such partnerships can use VulneraCity to obtain information on vulnerability and to comprehend the complexities and interlinkages of different vulnerability drivers.
Conclusions
VulneraCity represents a significant advancement in urban vulnerability research. It provides a detailed database and highlights the importance of understanding vulnerability dynamics, offering insights for creating risk management strategies. Researchers and policymakers can use this resource to enhance community resilience and better prepare for the multifaceted challenges posed by natural hazards.
For more information, access the full research article, the research brief, the VulneraCity database, and the explanatory video. Stay updated by following us on Twitter and LinkedIn.