IRDR - Addressing the challenges of natural & human-induced environmental hazards

The IRDR affiliated project “Coastal Cities at Risk”, supported by an alliance of Canadian research funders, hosted, jointly with the Adaptation for Climate Change Team (ACT) at Simon Fraser University, a workshop on Social Vulnerability from 4 to 6 February 2015.

The UN Centre for Human Settlements reports that Asia remains host to over half of the world’s 1 billion people living in slums. Many of these cities have very large impoverished populations, who often live in informal settlements alongside riverbanks or in proximity to coastal zones, making them more susceptible to hydrological disasters. (Photo: CCAR)

The workshop brought together researchers and research projects exploring various aspects of social vulnerability related to climate change and adaptation. More specifically, the workshop aimed:
– To explore the various definitions of social vulnerability used within different contexts;
– To examine the various methods for assessing social vulnerability and how these can be used to facilitate comparisons across places;
– To consider appropriate methods of monitoring changes in social vulnerability based on the implementation of programs and policies; and
– To discuss the relevance of social vulnerability assessments for adaptation decision-making.

A report highlighting the key findings of the workshop is available on: http://coastalcitiesatrisk.org/wordpress/international-innovation-ccar-publication/