A comparison of social vulnerability indices specific to flooding in Ecuador: principal component analysis (PCA) and expert knowledge

• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.102897
• Publication Date: 2022-03-15T17:47:51Z
• Authors: Agathe Bucherie; Carolynne Hultquist; Susana Adamo; Colleen Neely; Fernanda Ayala; Juan Bazo; Andrew Kruczkiewicz
• Keywords: Social vulnerability; Vulnerability; Vulnerability index

Social vulnerability is a key component of the risk equation alongside context hazard and exposure. Increasingly, social indices are used to better understand predict consequences disasters, support development improved disaster management policies. Humanitarian organisations particularly strive capture in their decision processes relative prioritisation actions before disasters occur. This research supports Ecuadorian Red Cross generating flood-specific index inform flash flood early action at Parroquia level Ecuador. paper compares results from two most common approaches create composite indices, one using weighting variables experts' judgments (referred as Expert method) other PCA analysis, with or more components. While all outcomes reveal similar trends areas where indicators suggest lowest (urban areas) highest (the Amazon northwest coastal regions) vulnerability, shows that choice method matters for assessing rest country there less pronounced signals. In those areas, PCA-driven higher levels than outcomes. Further, Andes particularly, result wider distribution outcomes, therefore heterogeneity assessment. divergence suggests particular attention use indexes making, our provide sensitivity spatially. To go further we emphasise importance historical impact data evaluate contribution each variable final scores.