DEMOGRAPHICS OF SOCIAL VULNERABILITY
Demographicsof Social Vulnerability
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The demographic of social vulnerabilities is often influenced by theeconomic disparity as well as other population factors. In this case,the group includes the poor people that need special assistance inthe time of need. Another group also includes the older people, womenand the young children that have disadvantages and need propersupport. In the process of dealing with the disasters, it isimportant that the stakeholders focus on these categories to makesure that the response is quite convenient. This essay will evaluatethe benefits of using the information on the social vulnerabilitiesand the consequences that arise when the emergency managers ignorethe data.
The information on social vulnerability can be effective for theemergency managers that will use it in the mitigation, response aswell as the recovery process. In this case, the mitigation needs theknowledge to understand the specific diversity of the communities.They might identify their language, culture as well as the risk thatthey are exposed to and decide how to handle a disaster that mightoccur. The information is crucial since it will help the managers inunderstanding the personal characteristics that the vulnerable grouphas. For instance, the approach helps the managers in creating theresponse plan that will look at their physical dependence, geographicisolation as well as the mental impairment that will ensure theprogram is quite useful (Lindell et al., 2006). The recovery phasealso needs the knowledge on the social vulnerability since it will behelpful in determining the resources they need. More important, theycan require wheelchairs to move the victims that might have specialphysical conditions that will derail their mobility (Lindell et al.,2006). The managers will also initiate the ongoing access tomedication that will make sure that the affected vulnerable personsget the proper medical care.
The failure to use the information on social vulnerability willundermine the emergency plans. In this case, the emergency managerswill be unable to determine the specific place where the particulargroups stay and the risk of the negative environmental consequencesthat they are exposed to (Tate, 2012). Besides that, the managers caneven underestimate the economic resources needed to assist the groupbased on the extreme weather or the conditions that the vulnerableindividuals experience. In some cases, the victims might have thechronic mental and physical conditions that will undermine theirmobility as well as resilience (Tate, 2012). Hence, the managers willalso have a difficult time moving the victims, and that will alsodelay their plan to save them. They might also experience obstaclessuch as the poverty, remoteness as well as language barrier that willundermine their ability to help the vulnerable people. All in all,the social vulnerability is an important part that will ensure thatthe victims are protected and saved from any consequences. As aresult, the managers will also understand the specific conditionsthat they experience and they will create measures that will combatthe risks in the process.
In conclusion, the emergency managers need the statistics on thesocial vulnerability to understand the way they will deal with thespecific groups during a disaster. In particular, the elderly, poorpeople, women, mentally ill persons as well as the minorities arecrucial individuals that need special focus. Hence, preparing a planthat addresses their concerns determines the success in themitigation, response, and the recovery as well. However, the failureto incorporate the information might lead to the stakeholdersunderestimating the consequences and the disasters. In summary,considering the vulnerable groups is a crucial process in theemergency management.
References
Lindell, M. K., Prater, C. S., & Perry, R. W. (2006, July 15).Fundamentals of Emergency Management. Retrieved on November 12, 2016,from https://training.fema.gov/hiedu/aemrc/booksdownload/fem/
Tate, E. (2012). Social vulnerability indices: a comparativeassessment using uncertainty and sensitivity analysis. NaturalHazards, 63(2), 325-347.
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