Menu:

 

 

Volume 14, Issue 1 - March 2014

 

Download (2.831KB, PDF)

 

 

  • Abstract / Resumo
  • References / Bibliografia
  • Citations / Citações

Revista de Gestão Costeira Integrada
Volume 14, Número 1, Março 2014, Páginas 3-13

DOI: 10.5894/rgci418
* Submission: 15 May 2013; Evaluation: 12 June 2013; Reception of revised manuscript: 6 July 2013; Accepted: 29 July 2013; Available on-line: 8 August 2013

Qualitative social vulnerability assessments to natural hazards: examples from coastal Thailand *

Avaliação qualitativa da vulnerabilidade social a riscos naturais: exemplos da zona costeira da Tailândia

Frederick Massmann 1 & Rainer Wehrhahn @, 1


@ - Corresponding author: [email protected]
1 - Department of Geography, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany


ABSTRACT
Information on the vulnerability to natural hazards on a local level may help decision makers, stakeholders, and others to make better decisions regarding an effective disaster management. Qualitative research methods can reveal such information. This paper reports on the application of focus groups and individual interviews for the assessment of local vulnerabilities in two case studies. The first case study deals with the impact and aftermath of the tsunami 2004 in Southern Thailand and the second one with urban flooding in Bangkok. Empirical research for both examples has been conducted from 2009 to 2012. The results show that a combination of different forms of qualitative interviews can reveal significant information for sustainable risk management. The specific characteristics of qualitative methods, e.g. openness and flexibility, allow for creating a holistic picture of local vulnerabilities. Furthermore, deeper knowledge of individual agency as well as of structural conditions can be generated. It could be shown that income diversification and social networks play a crucial role in reducing vulnerability to tsunami hazards whereas the lack of preparation on all levels in return increases vulnerability. Flood prone communities in Bangkok benefit from strong local organizations that represent their interests and that are active in flood risk management as well as from institutionalized savings and loans. A serious constraint for vulnerability reduction is unclear land tenure since it impedes individual and community efforts.

RESUMO
As informações sobre a vulnerabilidade a riscos naturais ao nível local podem constituir apoio importante para os tomadores de decisão e para as partes interessadas (stakeholders) no sentido em que viabilizam decisões mais eficazes no que se refere à gestão de desastres. Os métodos de pesquisa qualitativos podem fornecer essas informações. Este artigo aborda a vulnerabilidade local através de dois estudos de caso em que foram utilizadas entrevistas individuais e discussões de grupo (focus groups) como forma de avaliar a aludida vulnerabilidade. O primeiro estudo de caso incide nos impactes e consequências do tsunami de 2004 no sul da Tailândia. O segundo refere-se às enchentes urbanas em Bangkok. Em ambos os casos utilizaram-se métodos empíricos cujos trabalhos decorreram entre 2009 e 2012. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a combinação de diferentes formas de entrevistas qualitativas pode revelar informações importantes para a gestão de risco sustentável. As características específicas dos métodos qualitativos como, por exemplo, abertura e flexibilidade, permitem a construção de uma panorâmica holística das vulnerabilidades locais. Além disso, podem gerar-se conhecimentos mais aprofundados nas instituições consideradas individualmente, bem como nas próprias condições estruturais. Pode demonstrar-se que a diversificação de renda e as redes sociais desempenham um papel crucial na redução da vulnerabilidade aos riscos do tsunami e que a falta de preparação a todos os níveis, se traduz, pelo contrario, num aumento da vulnerabilidade. Por outro lado, as comunidades de Bangkok beneficiam de organizações locais fortes que representam os seus interesses e que são activas na gestão dos riscos de cheias e inundações, bem como da poupança institucionalizados e empréstimos. Um grave obstáculo para a redução da vulnerabilidade é o sistema menos claro da posse da terra, pois que tal impede que os esforços individuais e das comunidades sejam mais eficazes.

 

Adger, W.N.; Hughes, T.P.; Folke, C.; Carpenter, S.R.; Rockström, J. (2005) – Social-Ecological Resilience to Coastal Disasters. Science, 309(5737):1036-1039. DOI: 10.1126/science.1112122.

Adger, W. N. (2006) – Vulnerability. Global Environmental Change, 16(3):268-281. DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2006.02.006.

Bercht, A.L.; Wehrhahn, R. (2010) – A psychological-geographical approach to vulnerability: The example of a Chinese urban development project in the perspective of the transactional stress model. Environment and Planning A, 42(7):1705-1722. DOI: 10.1068/a42510.

Berkes, F. (2007) – Understanding uncertainty and reducing vulnerability: lessons from resilience thinking. Natural Hazards, 41(2):283-295. DOI: 10.1007/s11069-006-9036-7.

Birkmann, J. (2006) – Measuring vulnerability to promote disaster-resilient societies: Conceptual frameworks and definitions. In: Birkmann, J. (eds.), Measuring vulnerability to natural hazards. Towards disaster resilient societies, pp.9-54, United Nations University, Tokyo, Japan. ISBN: 978-9280811353.

Birkmann, J. (2011) – First- and second-order adaptation to natural hazards and extreme events in the context of climate change. Natural Hazards, 58(2):811-840. DOI: 10.1007/s11069-011-9806-8.

Birkmann, J.; Garschagen, M.; Kraas, F., Quang, N. (2010) – Adaptive urban governance: new challenges for the second generation of urban adaptation strategies to climate change. Sustainability Science, 5(2):185-206. DOI: 10.1007/s11625-010-0111-3.

Bogardi, J. (2006) – Introduction. In: Birkmann, J. (eds.), Measuring vulnerability to natural hazards. Towards disaster resilient societies, pp.1-6, United Nations University, Tokyo, Japan. ISBN: 978-9280811353.

Bohle, H.-G. (2001) – Vulnerability and criticality: perspective from social geography. IHDP Update, Newsletter of the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change, pp.1-7.

Bohle, H.-G.; Glade, T. (2007) – Vulnerabilitätskonzepte in Sozial- und Naturwissenschaften. In: C. Felgentreff & T. Glade (eds.), Naturrisiken und Sozialkatastrophen, pp.99-119, Elsevier/Spektrum, Heidelberg, Germany. ISBN: 978-3827415714.

Boonperm, J.; Haughton, J.; Khandker, S. R.; Rukumnuaykit, P. (2012) – Appraising the Thailand Village Fund. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 5998, 51p. DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-5998

Boonyabancha, S. (2001) – Savings and loans; drawing lessons from some experiences in Asia. Environment & Urbanization, 13(2):9-21. Available at http://www.bvsde.paho.org/bvsacd/cd26/enurb/
v13n2/9.pdf

Brooks, N.; Adger, W.N.; Kelly, P.M. (2005) – The determinants of vulnerability and adaptive capacity at the national level and the implications for adaptation. Global Environmental Change, 15(2):151-163. DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2004.12.006.

Buttimer, A. (1976) – Grasping the dynamism of lifeworld. Annals of the Association of American Geographers (ISSN: 0004-5608), 66(2):277-292, Washington, DC, U.S.A.

Chalapati, S. (2008) – Sufficiency Economy as a Response to the Problem of Poverty in Thailand. Asian Social Science (ISSN: 1911-2017), 4(7):3-6, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Cutter, S.L.; Boruff, B.J.; Shirley, W.L. (2003) – Social Vulnerability to Environmental Hazards. Social Science Quarterly, 84(2):242-261.
DOI: 10.1111/1540-6237.8402002

De Silva, D. A. M.; Yamao, M. (2007) – Effects of the tsunami on fisheries and coastal livelihood: a case study of tsunami-ravaged southern Sri Lanka. Disasters, 31(4):386-404. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7717.2007.01015.x.

Elwood, S. (2009) – Mixed Methods: Thinking, Doing, and Asking in Multiple Ways. In: D. DeLyser (eds.), The SAGE Handbook of qualitative geography, pp.94-113, SAGE, London, U.K.. ISBN: 978-1412919913.

Fekete, A. (2011) – Spatial disaster vulnerability and risk assessments: challenges in their quality and acceotance. Natural Hazards, 61(3):1161-1178. DOI: 10.1007/s11069-011-9973-7.

Fuchs, S.; Birkmann, J.; Glade, T. (2012) – Vulnerability assessment in natural hazard and risk analysis: current approaches and future challenges. Natural Hazards, 64(3):1969-1975. DOI: 10.1007/s11069-012-0352-9.

Gallopin, G. (2006) – Linkages between vulnerability, resilience, and adaptive capacity. Global Environmental Change, 16(3):293-303.
DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2006.02.004.

Hufschmidt, G. (2011) – A comparative analysis of several vulnerability concepts. Natural Hazards, 58(2):621-643. DOI: 10.1007/s11069-011-9823-7.

Janssen, M. A.; Ostrom, E. (2006) – Resilience, vulnerability, and adaptation: A cross-cutting theme of the international human dimensions programme on global environmental change. Global Environmental Change, 16(3):237-239.
DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2006.04.003.

Kabisch, S.; Kunath, A.; Schweizer-Ries, P.; Steinführer, A. (2011) – Vulnerability, Risks, and Complexity. Impacts of Global Change on Human Habitats. Hogreve, Göttingen, Germany. ISBN: 978-0889374355.

Kaplowitz, M. D. (2001) – Assessing mangrove products and services at the local level: the use of focus groups and individual interviews. Landscape and Urban Planning, 56(1-2):53-60. DOI: 10.1016/S0169-2046(01)00170-0

Kaplan, M.; Renaud, F.G.; Lüchters, G. (2009) – Vulnerability assessment and protective effects of coastal vegetation during the 2004 Tsunami in Sri Lanka. Natural hazards and Earth System Sciences, 9:1479-1494. DOI: 10.5194/nhess-9-1479-2009.

Kienberger, S.; Blaschke, T.; Zaidi. R.Z. (2012) – A framework for spatio-temporal scales and concepts from different disciplines: the ‘vulnerability cube’. Natural Hazards, DOI: 10.1007/s11069-012-0513-x.

Kuhlicke, C.; Scolobig, A.; Tapsell, S.; Steinführer, A.; De Marchi, B. (2011) – Contextualizing social vulnerability: findings from case studies across Europe. Natural Hazards, December 2012. DOI: 10.1007/s11069-011-9751-6.

Lebel, L.; Manuta, J. B.; Garden, P. (2010) – Institutional traps and vulnerability to changes in climate and flood regimes in Thailand. Regional Environmental Change, 11(1):45-58. DOI: 10.1007/s10113-010-0118-4.

Longhurst, R. (2010) – Semi-structured Interviews and Focus Groups. In: Clifford, N. J.; French, S.; Valentine, G. (eds.), Key methods in geography, pp.104-115, SAGE, London, Great Britain. ISBN: 978-1412935081.

Massmann, F. (2010) – Analyse der Vulnerabilität von Landwirtschaft und Fischerei an der Andamanküste Thailands im Kontext des Tsunami von 2004. Christian-Albrechts Universität zu Kiel. Unpublished thesis.

McDowell, L. (2010) – Interviewing: Fear and Liking in the Field. In: DeLyser, D. (eds.), The SAGE Handbook of qualitative geography, pp.156-171, SAGE, London, Great Britain. ISBN: 978-1412919913.

Medd, W.; Marvin, S. (2005) – From the Politics of Urgency to the Governance of Preparedness: A Research Agenda on Urban Vulnerability. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 13(2):44-49. DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-5973.2005.00455.x

NESDB (2009) – Gross regional and provincial products. p1, NESDB - National Economic and Social Development Board), Bangkok, Thailand.

Nightingale, A. (2009) – Triangulation. In: Kitchin, R. & Thrift, N. (eds.), International encyclopedia of human geography, pp.489-492, Elsevier, Amsterdam, Holland. ISBN: 978-0080449111.

Pelling, M. (2003) – The Vulnerability of Cities: Natural Disasters and Social Resilience. Earthscan, London, Great Britain. ISBN: 978-1853838309.

Reale, A.; Handmer, J. (2011) – Land tenure, disasters, and vulnerability. Disasters, 35(1):160-182. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7717.2010.01198.x.

Roberts, B.; Kanaley, T. (eds.) (2006) – Urbanization and Sustainability: Case Studies of Good Practice. Asian Development Bank. Mandaluyong City, Philippines.

Rodaway, P. (2011) – Humanism and People-Centred Methods. In: Aitken, S. & Valentine, G. (eds.), Approaches to Human Geography, pp.263-272, SAGE, London, Great Britain. ISBN: 978-0761942627.

Secor, A. J. (2009) – Focus Groups. In: Kitchin, R. & Thrift, N. (eds.), International encyclopedia of human geography, pp.200-201, Elsevier, Amsterdam, Holland. ISBN: 978-0080449111.

Silverman, D. (2010) – Doing qualitative research. SAGE, London, Great Britain. ISBN: 978-848600331.

Smit, B.; Wandel, J. (2006) – Adaptation, adaptive capacity and vulnerability. Global Environmental Change, 16(3):282–292.
DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2006.03.008.

Strauss, A. (1987) – Qualitative Analysis for Social Scientists. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Great Britain. ISBN: 978-0521338066.

Strauss, A.; Corbin, J. (1990) – Basic of Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory Procedures and Techniques. SAGE, Newbury Park, U.S.A. ISBN: 978-0803932517.

Thanawood, C.; Yongchalermchai, C.; Densrisereekul, O. (2006) – Effects of the December 2004 Tsunami and Disaster Management in southern Thailand. Science of Tsunami Hazards, 24(3):206-217. http://tsunamisociety.org/243thana.pdf.

Thomalla, F.; Downing, T.; Spanger-Siegfried, E.; Han, G.; Rockström, J. (2006) – Reducing hazard vulnerability: towards a common approach between disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation. Disasters, 30(1):39-48. Available at http://www.clacc.net/Documents/report/
j.1467-9523.2006.00305.pdf

Tuan, Y.-F. (1976) – Humanistic geography. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 66(1):266-276, Washington, DC, U.S.A..

Turner, B.L.; Kasperson, R.E.; Matson, P.A.; McCarthy, J.J.; Corell, R.W.; Christensen, L.; Eckley, N.; Kasperson, J.X.; Luers, A.; Martello, M.L.; Polsky, C.; Pulsipher, A.; Schiller, A. (2003) – A framework for vulnerability analysis in sustainability science. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 100(14):8074-8079. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1231335100.

UNISDR (2007) – Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters. 25p., UNISDR - The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Available at http://www.unisdr.org/files/1037_hyogoframeworkforactionenglish.pdf

Valentine, G. (2005) – Tell me about… using interviews as a research methodology. In: Flowerdew,R. & Martin, D. (eds), Methods in Human Geography: A Guide for Students Doing a Research Project, pp.110–127, Pearson, Harlow, U.K. ISBN: 978-0582473218.

Webster, D.; McElwee, P. (2009) – Urban Adaptation to Climate Change: Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City as Test Beds. In: Worldbank (eds.), Fifth urban research symposium, cities and climate change: Responding to an urgent agenda, 17p., Marseille, France. Available at http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTURBANDEVELOPMENT/Resources/
336387-1256566800920/6505269-1268260567624/Webster.pdf
.

Wehrhahn, R.; Bercht, A.L.; Krause, C. L.; Azzam, R.; Kluge, F.; Strohschön, R.; Wiethoff, K.; Baier, K. (2008) – Urban restructuring and social and water-related vulnerability in mega-cities – the example of the urban village of Xincún, Guangzhou(China). Die Erde, Zeitschrift der Gesellschaft für Erdkunde zu Berlin, 139(3):227-249.

Willroth, P.; Revilla Diez, J.; Arunotai, N. (2011) – Modelling the economic vulnerability of households in the Phang-Nga Province (Thailand) to natural disasters. Natural Hazards, 58(2):753-769.
DOI: 10.1007/s11069-010-9635-1.

Willroth, P.; Massmann, F.; Wehrhahn, R.; Revilla Diez, J. (2012) – Socio-economic vulnerability of coastal communities in southern Thailand: the development of adaptation strategies. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 12:2647-2658. DOI: 10.5194/nhess-12-2647-2012.

Wisner, B. (2004) – Assessment of capability and vulnerability. In: Bankoff, G.; Frerks, G.; Hilhorst, D. (eds.), Mapping vulnerability: disasters, development and people, pp.183-193, Earthscan, London. ISBN: 978-1853839641.

Wisner, B. (2006) - Self-assessment of coping capacity: Participatory, proactive, and qualitative engagement of communities in their own risk management. In: Birkmann, J. (eds.), Measuring vulnerability to natural hazards. Towards disaster resilient societies, pp.316-328, United Nations University, Tokyo, Japan. ISBN: 978-9280811353.

Wisner, B.; Blaikie, P.; Cannon, T.; Davis, I. (2004) – At Risk: Natural Hazards, people’s vulnerability and disasters. 2nd edition. 471p., Routledge, New York. ISBN: 0415-252164.

Wongpreedee, A.; Mahakanjana, C. (2011) – Decentralization and Local Governance in Thailand. In: Berman, E. M. (eds.), Public Administration in Southeast Asia, pp.53-78, CRC Press. ISBN: 978-1420064766.

World Bank (2009) – Climate Change Impact and Adaptation, Study for Bangkok Metropolitam Region. Final Report. World Bank, Panya Consultants, Bangkok, Thailand. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/
handle/10986/3115
.

World Bank (2012) – Thai Flood 2011. Rapid Assessment for Resilient Recovery and Reconstruction Planning. World Bank, Bangkok, Thailand. https://www.gfdrr.org/sites/gfdrr.org/files/publication/
Thai_Flood_2011_2.pdf
.

Zou, L.-L.; Wei, Y.-M. (2010) – Driving factors for social vulnerability to coastal hazards in Southeast Asia: results from the meta-analysis. Natural Hazards, 54(3):901-929. DOI: 10.1007/s11069-010-9513-x.

 

em construção