Digital Commons Network^™

Reducing Disaster Vulnerability Of Coastal Communities On The Salish Sea, Stephanie Chang

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

This paper provides an overview of the disaster vulnerability of coastal communities on the Salish Sea. In addition to natural hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods (both riverine and coastal), coastal communities in this region are at risk from human-induced and technological disasters such as oil spills and terrorism threats. Vulnerability – or the propensity to suffer loss when a hazard event occurs – is affected by many factors related to geographic setting, the built environment, economic conditions, socio-demographics characteristics, and institutional context. In a case study of Metro Vancouver, this paper identifies and compares key vulnerability factors in …