ABSTRACT
Having a mechanism for understanding a community’s vulnerabilities and capacities in a systematic fashion is necessary for fully translating the concepts of social vulnerability into research and practice. Community vulnerability assessments (CVA) can put valuable information into the hands of all decision makers, including the public, policy makers, emergency managers, and numerous other members of a community, with the goal of vulnerability reduction. Most importantly, CVA can incorporate community voices along with the traditional “official” data sources, providing a mechanism for participation and a basis for action for all who are potentially affected. This chapter focuses on community vulnerability assessment approaches, particularly emphasizing the evaluation of social vulnerability and capacity.
