Report: Ways Social Vulnerability to Disasters is Created

This report investigates the multifaceted ways in which social vulnerability to disasters is constructed. It begins by highlighting the impact of industrial agriculture, which replaces traditional farming practices, leading to land displacement and environmental degradation. Population dynamics, particularly migration and its effects on resource exploitation, are also explored, emphasizing how increased demands strain natural resources and increase disaster susceptibility. The report further examines the role of social changes, such as poverty, in undermining local coping mechanisms and preparedness efforts. Factors like education and access to resources are also discussed, demonstrating their impact on an individual's ability to recognize and respond to hazards. The report concludes by advocating for increased awareness, improved communication, and the implementation of early warning systems to mitigate the risks associated with social vulnerability.

RUNNING HEAD: Ways that Social Vulnerability to Disaster is Created
Specific ways in which Social Vulnerability to Disaster is constructed
Name
Institutional affiliation

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INTRODUCTION
The development raises the vulnerability to disaster through consequences not intended that
weaken the ecological, social and economic factors that enable the system to rebound and absorb
from the hazards events or resilience. Population growth, the introduction of new consumption
and production patterns, migration and new technologies can alter the available social
relationship which leads to vulnerability change. Such changes can lead to degradation of the
environment because of pressure increase on the natural resources, the generation of more
pollutants and wastes and the use of marginal lands. The degradation of the environment
increases disaster intensity and transforms the hazards into a disaster. Ethnicity and race, age,
economic status, disability, and gender give rise to the occurrence of disasters (Thomas, Phillips,
Lovekamp, & Fothergill, 2013).
SPECIFIC WAYS IN WHICH SOCIAL VULNERABILITY TO DISASTER IS
CREATED
The introduction of industrial agriculture replaced the subsistence farming that was initially
practicing the crop rotation, practicing fallowing for the soil to gain fertility and migratory
grazing. The industrial agriculture together with the increase in the human population can reduce
the available land for subsistence farming and results in people being displaced from their own
land and the cumulative impact of this can increase social vulnerability. The social network can
be destroyed with increased soil degradation and deforestation. Crop intensification and land-use
changes through industrial agriculture lead to changes in environmental and geographical
characteristics. These activities can reduce the effectiveness of people to cope with disasters
such as drought. The destabilization of the soil in steep hills occurs when industrial agriculture

Social Vulnerability to Disasters 3
replaced subsistence agriculture. Hurricanes and heavy rains can collapse the irrigation dams and
cause landslides in the area (Ward & Shively, 2016).
Population dynamics: Migration is the contributor to the vulnerability to hazards because the
population becomes high more than the carrying capacity of the region. Economic migration is
cause over-exploitation of natural resources, environmental goods, and service and degradation
of the environment. The increase in demands of more raw materials and goods increases lead to
deforestation, overgrazing, intensive farming and using the resources unsustainably. These
activities reduce the resilience of the area and make the place prone and vulnerable to disasters
and natural hazards (Williams & Webb, 2019).
Social changes: the increase of poverty undermine the local power and make it uneasy for the
people to act on their knowledge of disaster and hazards as usual response pattern. Even in
places where poverty is not a problem, the difference of professional authorities and authorities
of indigenous knowledge-based in past experience can interfere with the effort of mitigation and
preparedness. The poor people may be aware of the risks of storms but normally have less choice
of where they can reside and may not afford the insurance. The families who depend on the
subsistence and fishing require to reside along the coasts where their homes and businesses are at
risk from flooding, storms and other disasters. Some hazards have fewer warning phases giving
fewer options for people to evacuate. Education impacts on vulnerably since high education
enables easy recognition of dangers and prepare for the hazards (Melo, et al., 2017).

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CONCLUSION
The awareness of the hazards should be created and establish effective response of coping with
the disasters to reduces social vulnerability. Efficient early warning systems should be used for
preparedness and also more research should be done on the best technologies that can be
installed to curb the problem. Improved communication between different relevant authorities
can also reduce vulnerability.

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REFERENCES
Melo, M., Cook, B., Thomsen, D., Munro, P., Smith, T., & Gallina, J. (2017). Living with disasters: social
capital for disaster governance. Disasters, 571-589.
Thomas, D., Phillips, B., Lovekamp, W., & Fothergill, A. (2013). Social Vulnerability to Disasters. New
York-London: CRC Press.
Ward, P., & Shively, G. (2016). Disaster risk, social vulnerability, and economic development. Disasters,
324-351.
Williams, B., & Webb, G. (2019). Social Vulnerability and Disaster: Understanding the Perspectives of
Practitioners. Disasters, 68-70.