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Vulnerability and all that jazz: Addressing vulnerability in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina

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  • Yarnal, Brent

Abstract

This essay reviews the concept of vulnerability, paying special attention to the vulnerability of New Orleans exposed by Hurricane Katrina, and the need for interdisciplinary approaches to reducing vulnerability. Vulnerability is defined as a function of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Physical vulnerability results from exposure, and social vulnerability emanates from social factors that place people in highly exposed areas, affect the sensitivity of people to that exposure, and influence their capacity to respond and adapt. The paper describes how the city's physical exposure has caused extreme vulnerability. Its large population of poor blacks is even more exposed than others, has high sensitivity, and possesses limited capacity to adapt. The paper argues that to understand vulnerability requires an interdisciplinary approach, one that physical scientists, engineers, social scientists, and humanists should work on collaboratively in order to reduce vulnerability in New Orleans.

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  • Yarnal, Brent, 2007. "Vulnerability and all that jazz: Addressing vulnerability in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 249-255.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:teinso:v:29:y:2007:i:2:p:249-255
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2007.01.011
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alice Fothergill & Lori Peek, 2004. "Poverty and Disasters in the United States: A Review of Recent Sociological Findings," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 32(1), pages 89-110, May.
    2. Dagmar Schröter & Colin Polsky & Anthony Patt, 2005. "Assessing vulnerabilities to the effects of global change: an eight step approach," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 10(4), pages 573-595, October.
    3. Lisa Rygel & David O’sullivan & Brent Yarnal, 2006. "A Method for Constructing a Social Vulnerability Index: An Application to Hurricane Storm Surges in a Developed Country," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 741-764, May.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Dorota Rucińska & Martyna Zagrzejewska, 2021. "The Point Bonitation Method and Its Adaptation in Risk Studies: A Case Study in Sri Lanka’s Cities in the Coastal Zone," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-13, February.
    3. Andrew Kirby, 2022. "The Right to Make Mistakes? The Limits to Adaptive Planning for Climate Change," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, June.
    4. Gainbi Park & Zengwang Xu, 2022. "The constituent components and local indicator variables of social vulnerability index," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 110(1), pages 95-120, January.
    5. Yong Shi, 2013. "Population vulnerability assessment based on scenario simulation of rainstorm-induced waterlogging: a case study of Xuhui District, Shanghai City," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 66(2), pages 1189-1203, March.
    6. Dorota Rucinska, 2015. "Spatial Distribution of Flood Risk and Quality of Spatial Management: Case Study in Odra Valley, Poland," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 35(2), pages 241-251, February.
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    8. Chongming Wang & Brent Yarnal, 2012. "The vulnerability of the elderly to hurricane hazards in Sarasota, Florida," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 63(2), pages 349-373, September.

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