Using social vulnerability mapping to enhance coastal community resiliency in Texas

Disasters like Hurricane Ike, as well as severe storms such as Allison, Katrina, and Rita are often referred to as "natural" disasters. Rather than being wholly "natural," however, these disasters result from the interaction among biophysical systems, human systems, and their built environment. Indeed, the emerging scientific consensus states that the damage incurred, in both human and financial terms, is largely due to human action or, more often, inaction (Mileti 1999). Communities in the United States and much of the world continue to develop and expand into high hazard areas. This contributes to increased hazard exposure and often results in the destruction of environmental resources such as wetlands, often increasing losses. In other words, many of the communities in our nation are becoming ever more vulnerable to "natural" hazards while simultaneously becoming less disaster resilient. Copyright 2012 by Texas A&M University Press. All rights reserved.

Using social vulnerability mapping to enhance coastal community resiliency in Texas Chapter