Spatial Science and Social Policy:A Geographical Approach to Social Vulnerability

and Hazard Management

AuthorsJoanne Travaglia, PhD

H. RobertsonNick Nicholas

Introduction• Author backgrounds• 2011, what a year! But wait, there’s more…• Human systems and natural events• Disasters and vulnerability• Population ageing and complex change• Spatial science and prevention, remediation and

recovery• Modelling vulnerabilities spatially• Policy implications• Conclusion• Future developments

• Author backgrounds• 2011, what a year! But wait, there’s more…• Human systems and natural events• Disasters and vulnerability• Population ageing and complex change• Spatial science and prevention, remediation and

recovery• Modelling vulnerabilities spatially• Policy implications• Conclusion• Future developments

Author Backgrounds– Patient safety research and practice– Disaster theory and research– Population ageing research– Diversity work and research– Social science – sociology, demography,

social and cultural policy and geography– Spatial science – GIS, cartography etc– Health sciences – medicine, public health,

bioethics, pharmaceutical marketing etc

– Patient safety research and practice– Disaster theory and research– Population ageing research– Diversity work and research– Social science – sociology, demography,

social and cultural policy and geography– Spatial science – GIS, cartography etc– Health sciences – medicine, public health,

bioethics, pharmaceutical marketing etc

(Some) contextual factors affecting thevulnerability of communities

• Global context (macro)– Environment, economy, politics– Differential burden of disease types and rates– Human rights

• Country and states (meso)– Population(s) (demography, illness profiles, social determinants of health)– Education, registration and monitoring of health workforce(s)– Industrial relations, professional bodies– Politics (internal and external), economic, culture and history of health systemsServices, teams and clinicians (micro)– Organisation(s)’ history, location, capabilities and structure(s)– Inter and intra professional relationships– Workloads– CompetenciesCommunities, families and carers (micro)– Involvement, control– Accessibility of information– Types and levels of risk, resilience, resourcesScale, scope and capacity issues

• Global context (macro)– Environment, economy, politics– Differential burden of disease types and rates– Human rights

• Country and states (meso)– Population(s) (demography, illness profiles, social determinants of health)– Education, registration and monitoring of health workforce(s)– Industrial relations, professional bodies– Politics (internal and external), economic, culture and history of health systemsServices, teams and clinicians (micro)– Organisation(s)’ history, location, capabilities and structure(s)– Inter and intra professional relationships– Workloads– CompetenciesCommunities, families and carers (micro)– Involvement, control– Accessibility of information– Types and levels of risk, resilience, resourcesScale, scope and capacity issues

Steady state vulnerabilitiesA study of 195 healthcare workers across NSW identify the following

categories of vulnerable/at risk patients (Travaglia, 2009)

• The elderly (older, very old, oldest old, centenarians and supercentenarians)• Indigenous peoples• Immigrants – especially those with limited local language skills• People with disabilities, especially cognitive impairments• Children and youth• Patients with literacy and communication problems• People from lower SES• Geographically isolated individuals• Socially isolated individuals• The homeless• The frail and malnourished• Patients with co-morbidities and chronic illness• Patients with high acuity and complex system dependence (e.g. dialysis)• Those with liminal (social, physical, geographic) status• Those without an advocate

• The elderly (older, very old, oldest old, centenarians and supercentenarians)• Indigenous peoples• Immigrants – especially those with limited local language skills• People with disabilities, especially cognitive impairments• Children and youth• Patients with literacy and communication problems• People from lower SES• Geographically isolated individuals• Socially isolated individuals• The homeless• The frail and malnourished• Patients with co-morbidities and chronic illness• Patients with high acuity and complex system dependence (e.g. dialysis)• Those with liminal (social, physical, geographic) status• Those without an advocate

Natural and Human Systems• They are not simple, they are complex• They are not separate, they interact• They are not static, they are dynamic• They are not located elsewhere, they are pervasive

and sometimes predictable• Time and location are issues for us, less so for

natural hazards• Knowing what we know, we (should) have an

obligation to respond• If we don’t respond, given all of the above, event

consequences will escalate

• They are not simple, they are complex• They are not separate, they interact• They are not static, they are dynamic• They are not located elsewhere, they are pervasive

and sometimes predictable• Time and location are issues for us, less so for

natural hazards• Knowing what we know, we (should) have an

obligation to respond• If we don’t respond, given all of the above, event

consequences will escalate

Disasters and Extreme Weather EventsNew Zealand, Japan, Thailand, Philippines in 2011 Alone

Source: Sydney Morning Herald 19th November 2011

Christchurch 2011http://images.smh.com.au/2011/02/22/2197080/cathedral-420-420x0.jpg

Brisbane, Australia 2011http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2011/01/12/1225986/044938-brisbane-river-flooding.jpg

Thailand 2011Human system impacts are global in a global industrial framework e.g. Sendai

Nelson, New ZealandDecember 2011

Future Issues for the Asia-Pacific Region:Dynamic natural system changes have human system implications

Human SystemsImportant Space and Place Issues and Effects

GIS and Hazards

• Greene (2002) identifies a range ofpotential policy applications including:– Identification and planning– Mitigation– Preparedness– Response(s)– Recovery

• Greene (2002) identifies a range ofpotential policy applications including:– Identification and planning– Mitigation– Preparedness– Response(s)– Recovery

Munch Re World Natural Hazards MapSource: http://www.munichre.com/en/homepage/default.aspx

Global natural catastrophes 1980 – 2009Number of events with trend

Num

ber

200

400

600

800

1 000

1 200

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

Climatological events(Extreme temperature,drought, forest fire)

Hydrological events(Flood, mass movement)

Meteorological events(Storm)

Geophysical events(Earthquake, tsunami,volcanic eruption)

© 2010 Munich Re, Geo Risks Research, NatCatSERVICE – As at January 2010

Num

ber

200

400

600

800

1 000

1 200

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

19

Global Population AgeingSource: Why Population Aging Matters: A Global Perspective, USA, 2007

Modelling Vulnerabilities

• Blaikie et al (2010):– Ethnicity– Age (young and old, notional

dependency)– Gender– SES– Disability

• Blaikie et al (2010):– Ethnicity– Age (young and old, notional

dependency)– Gender– SES– Disability

Our Vulnerability Model• Overseas born – ethnicity• Need for assistance - disability• Dependants – age groups (dependency ratio)• Education and occupation• Economic resources (SEIFA index)• Addition of problem locations in Sydney• Z Score – link vulnerability index and problem

locations• KML file for export to Google Earth

• Overseas born – ethnicity• Need for assistance - disability• Dependants – age groups (dependency ratio)• Education and occupation• Economic resources (SEIFA index)• Addition of problem locations in Sydney• Z Score – link vulnerability index and problem

locations• KML file for export to Google Earth

Overseas Born

Need for AssistanceDisability Surrogate

Dependants

Education and Occupation

Economic Resources

Potential Problem Sites

Z Score for Vulnerability and Problem Sites

KML file if we still have time!

Policy Implications• Spatially informed policy is both scientifically informed

and evidence-based• Spatial science supports rather than excludes social

knowledge and experience• Spatial science and technology can support enhanced

democratic social participation e.g. PPGIS• Spatial science can provide a meta-language for

disaster planning and response• Spatial visualisation improves access to the who and

where questions in local policy outcomes• Digital earth visualisation supports global interactions

e.g. sustainability, ecology, risk management etc

• Spatially informed policy is both scientifically informedand evidence-based

• Spatial science supports rather than excludes socialknowledge and experience

• Spatial science and technology can support enhanceddemocratic social participation e.g. PPGIS

• Spatial science can provide a meta-language fordisaster planning and response

• Spatial visualisation improves access to the who andwhere questions in local policy outcomes

• Digital earth visualisation supports global interactionse.g. sustainability, ecology, risk management etc

Science, Policy and Governance• If the applicable and beneficial science exists, there is an

ethical obligation to utilise it – not to do so is an activefailure of governance

• Governance issues exit but can be accommodated viaexisting or amended policy frameworks (e.g. privacy)

• Failures of appropriate governance can actually (help to)constitute vulnerabilities

• Ethical and legal consequences of governance failurese.g. state actions, departmental actions, professionalactions, individual actions

• Spatial literacy is a requirement for meaningful policyresponses to the issues identified in this session

• If uninformed policy is a passive failure of governance,and deliberately uninformed policy is an active failure ofgovernance

• If the applicable and beneficial science exists, there is anethical obligation to utilise it – not to do so is an activefailure of governance

• Governance issues exit but can be accommodated viaexisting or amended policy frameworks (e.g. privacy)

• Failures of appropriate governance can actually (help to)constitute vulnerabilities

• Ethical and legal consequences of governance failurese.g. state actions, departmental actions, professionalactions, individual actions

• Spatial literacy is a requirement for meaningful policyresponses to the issues identified in this session

• If uninformed policy is a passive failure of governance,and deliberately uninformed policy is an active failure ofgovernance

Conclusion• Events are always context and location specific but this does

not mean they are not influenced by larger systems• Some events have a long ‘tail’ spatially, temporally and

systemically (Haiti – 150 years or more)• No disasters are entirely natural, systemic capacities and

vulnerability status matter too• Social vulnerabilities are also differential, hence policy

responses need to be more than one-size fits all AND/ORideology driven

• Science and technology can support amelioration andremediation

• Planning well in advance is always the better (and feasible)option

• Spatial science and technology are pivotal in linkingresponses across multiple policy and service domains

• Events are always context and location specific but this doesnot mean they are not influenced by larger systems

• Some events have a long ‘tail’ spatially, temporally andsystemically (Haiti – 150 years or more)

• No disasters are entirely natural, systemic capacities andvulnerability status matter too

• Social vulnerabilities are also differential, hence policyresponses need to be more than one-size fits all AND/ORideology driven

• Science and technology can support amelioration andremediation

• Planning well in advance is always the better (and feasible)option

• Spatial science and technology are pivotal in linkingresponses across multiple policy and service domains