Crisis vulnerability assessment tool considering human and technological structures as well as social support through private relations and state actors
Abstract as pdf
Corresponding Author:
Kati Orru
University of Tartu Estonia
kati.orru@ut.ee
Author(s):
Margo Klaos1 and Kristi Nero2
1Estonian Rescue Board, EST
2University Of Tartu, Nerokristi@Gmail.Com, EST
The lack of systematic analysis of social vulnerability factors, including those stemming from the inappropriate social infrastructures can be considered as one of the key impediments in preparing for and organising recue and support in crisis in many European countries. This paper reflects on the elaboration of a social vulnerability assessment tool co-created with practitioners in crisis management and social care aiming to fill this gap in comprehensive guidance for analysing social vulnerability, including the accessibility and quality of social infrastructures. The tool follows the dynamic and intersectional perspective on vulnerability and guides relevant stakeholders to systematically think through the possible hazard scenarios, the related factors of vulnerability and the sources of information on these vulnerabilities. The tool guides in explicating different factors of vulnerability along the dimensions of human agency and technological structures as well as social support through private relations and state actors. As one of the key spectrums of factors that shape coping capacities, the tool considers the accessibility of public services aimed at providing medical care and rescue services, social and psychological care, public information services, appropriate provisions to people that are under care, supervision or curfew. The dimension also refers to how the services are tailored taking into account the various needs of individuals.
The applicability of the tool was tested in the crisis cases of a large-scale disruption of electrical supply, COVID-19 pandemic, and a cyber-incident in Estonia. The table-top exercise, interviews, and focus groups (with 64 stakeholder representatives) demonstrated how the factors of vulnerability intersect and their impact may be amplified or attenuated by the situational characteristics. Furthermore, the validation demonstrated that the tool effectively broadened the scope of factors considered inducing vulnerability and enabled to narrow the circle of individuals burdened by certain vulnerability mixes and to whom the support should be directed. The exercise of connecting the vulnerability factors stemming from the (poor functioning of) the public support structures to indicators and information sources that could depict these factors of vulnerability may hint why these factors are rarely considered as impediments to societal coping in crises.
Caring about and Care in Disasters: On Privileges, Marginalisation and the Making of Critical (Social) Infrastructure Protection