Social vulnerability tool

This tool is designed to help users to assess communities’ vulnerability to climate hazards such as flooding, extreme heat and drought.  

The tool compiles census data for indicators such as housing quality, unemployment rate, and average education levels (amongst others) to analyze the vulnerability of a given community to climate change. The tool also provides an index or score of socio-economic vulnerability for each census-defined small area within a region of interest. These data can be used in tandem with assessments of bio-physical impacts from climate change, or can be used as a standalone resource to inform decision-making. The data provided by this tool allow users to better understand climate change risks for a given community, and to compare risks across regions using an easy-to-use map interface. The tool is intended to support decision-makers in municipal government and in industry sectors such as transport, water and agriculture, to assist both climate change adaptation and the transition to a carbon neutral economy.  

Benefits of using the tool

Provides an easy-to-use interface allowing users to quickly examine and visualize zones of relative socio-economic vulnerability.  
Can be updated as new census data is collected. The indicators that comprise the index can also be tailored to flooding and heat stress, if needed. 
Complements bio-physical impact assessments to help users to understand the relative sensitivity of any particular location to a given climate hazard. 
Provides important socio-economic data for the development of climate change adaptation, disaster risk management, and urban and regional development plans.

City Hub experiences

Cork: will use the SVI Tool in combination with all three of its other REACHOUT tools, and as part of its statutory obligations to develop and implement a Local Authority Climate Action Plan in 2023 .

Athens: TBC will use the SVI tool to identify areas of high vulnerable population density and combine to the output of thermal assessment tool – this will allow Athens to target better its heat-related work .

Logroño will use the tool to better define and understand the SVI with regard to the heat and flood hazard and be able to identify areas (neighbourhoods) of high social vulnerability Additionally, Logroño is interested on combine the social vulnerability outcome maps with the thermal assessment tool – heatmaps, to target better its heat-related risk 

Gdynia: will use the SVI Tool in conjunction with the Climate Resilient Cities Tool in order to support spatial adaptation decisions for the city. These tools will support the municipality and stakeholders in identifying effective measures in certain locations. In addition, the SVI Tool will provide a broader view of the most vulnerable communities in these locations. 

Triple-A phases and complexity

The tool can be used in the following Triple-A phases:

Analysis phase:

The SVI Tool can be used directly by decision-makers for the purposes of understanding a community’s socio-economic vulnerability. Alternatively, it can used in conjunction with other impact and risk analysis methods and tools to assess climate change risks.

Ambition phase:

The SVI Tool can be used to directly inform decision-makers’ risk prioritization and identification of objectives .

Action phase:

The SVI Tool can help decision-makers to identify, evaluate and prioritize the most robust and equitable adaptation measures.

Overall level of complexity: Level 2 (customized approach)

An overview of the methodology used for development of the SVI Tool is provided in the following journal article, available on request: 

Fitton, JM, O’Dwyer, B, Maher, B (Forthcoming) ‘Developing a social vulnerability to environmental hazards index to inform climate action in Ireland’. Irish Geography, 54(2), 157-180

An example of the user interface for the SVI Tool is currently under development and a draft version can be shared with tool users in the interim. 