PRESENTATION ON

VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT,
TYPES AND METHODOLOGY

PRESENTED BY:
Preshit Mahato
(EQ07811-PU)
What is DISASTER?

To understand this we need to understand the concept

of:

 HAZARD: HASARD in french and AZ-ZAHR in arabic (chance

or luck)
 RISK: Includes two elements i.e. “possibility and probability”.
 VULNERABILITY: very close to word “Susceptibility”.
What do you mean by Vulnerability?

 The degree of Susceptibility and Resilience of the community

and environment…..To……Hazards or Disasters.
where;
Susceptibility: being likely or liable to be influenced.
Resilience: capacity to recover quickly from difficulties

 In another words, the extend/degree to which a community,

infrastructure, service or geographic area is likely to be
damaged by the impact of particular hazards or disasters.
What do you mean by Vulnerability?
 It depends on the characteristics of a person or group in terms
of capacity to anticipate, cope with, resist and recover from
the impact of Hazard.

 Examples:
 Poor design and construction of buildings
 Inadequate protection of assets
 Lack of public information and awareness
 High level of poverty and education
 Limited official recognition of risks and preparedness
measures etc.
Types/Categories of Vulnerability:
 Effected by physical, social, economical and environmental
factors.
1. Physical Vulnerability:
 Impact on physical environments.
 It includes who and what may be damaged for destroyed by
natural hazard such as Earthquakes, Floods etc.
2. Social Vulnerability (People):
 Inability of people, organizations and societies to withstand
adverse impacts of hazards.
Types/Categories of Vulnerability:

3. Economical Vulnerability:
 Depend upon the economic status of individual,
communities and nations.
 Poor are usually more vulnerable to disasters because the
lack of the resources to build strong structures.
 Poorer families may live in Squatter (illegal) settlements
because they can not afford to live a safe area (more
expensive).
4. Environmental Vulnerability: Impact on Natural resources.
 Examples: Wetland, increase salinity (salt) from sea water
etc.
Questions Need to be asked:

 To determine people’s vulnerability, two questions

need to be asked:

 To what threat or hazard are they vulnerable?

 What makes them vulnerable to that threat or

hazard?
Counteracting Vulnerability Requires:

 Reducing the impact of the hazard itself where possible

through prediction, warning and preparedness.

 Building capacity to withstand and cope with hazards.

 Tackling the root cause of vulnerability such as poverty, poor

governance, discrimination, inequality and inadequate access
to resources and likelihoods.
Potentially Vulnerable Groups:
 Displaced populations who leave their habitual residence in
collectives, usually due to a sudden impact disaster, such as an
Earthquakes or Flood, threat or conflict as a coping mechanism
and with the intend to return;
 Migrants who leave their habitual residence to go to new
places, usually abroad to seek better and safer perspectives;
 Returnees-former migrants or displaced people returning to
their homes;
 Young children, pregnant and nursing woman, widows, elderly
people without family support, disabled persons.
Methods used Vulnerability Assessment
of Structure:
The vulnerability assessment of structures involves various
methods and approaches to evaluate the susceptibility of
buildings, infrastructure, or physical facilities to different hazards
or threats.
1. Engineering Analysis:
Involves a comprehensive analysis conducted by structural
engineers and experts to evaluate the design, materials,
construction, and structural integrity of buildings or infrastructure.
Methods used Vulnerability Assessment
of Structure:
2. Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment:
Natural disasters (such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes),
human-made threats (like terrorism, industrial accidents), and
other risks that could affect the structure.

Risk assessment techniques help to prioritize vulnerabilities based

on the likelihood of occurrence and potential consequences.
Methods used Vulnerability Assessment
of Structure:
4. Physical Inspections and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT):
Conducting visual inspections, as well as employing NDT methods
like ultrasound, radiography, thermography, and others, to detect
hidden defects, material degradation, or structural weaknesses
without causing damage to the structure.
5. Vulnerabilities Matrices and Rating System:
Developing vulnerability matrices or rating systems specific to
structural vulnerabilities, which assign scores or rankings based on
different criteria such as structural robustness, materials used,
geographical location, and anticipated hazards.
Methods used Vulnerability Assessment
of Structure:
6. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computer Simulations:
Utilizing advanced computational methods like FEA or computer
simulations to model structural behavior under different loading
conditions or hazard scenarios.

These simulations help to identify weaknesses and predict

structural responses to various stressors.
Methods used Vulnerability Assessment
of Structure:
7. Historical Data Analysis:
Reviewing historical data of similar structures or incidents to learn
from past vulnerabilities, failures, or damage caused by specific
hazards.

Analyzing such data aids in understanding vulnerabilities and

improving future designs or retrofitting measures.
Methods used Vulnerability Assessment
of Structure:
8. Regulatory Compliance and Building Codes Review:
Assessing structures against local building codes, regulations, and
standards to ensure compliance and identify areas where
additional measures might be needed to meet updated safety
requirements.
THANK YOU !