Guidance on Risk, Resilience, and Vulnerability Indices
Challenge
In recent years, there has been an increase of available indices that measure risk, resilience, and vulnerability. Although these indices have provided valuable insights into our communities, they have also prompted some confusion over which index to use, when to use it, and for what purpose.
Response
NAPSG Foundation, in partnership with the Geospatial Professional Network's (formerly URISA), launched a study to understand available and emerging risk, resilience, and vulnerability indices as the basis for developing guidance to help the emergency management community match business needs with specific indices. This effort was made possible through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (Agreement #70RSAT18CB0000041).
Guidance
The goal of this guidance is to assist the emergency management/public safety community in quickly understanding which indices are available, the data and methodologies behind them, and their relevance for use in preparedness and response.
Indices Included in this Guidance:
- CDC Social Vulnerability Index (CDC SVI)
- Social Vulnerability Index for the United States (SoVI®)
- FEMA Community Resilience Challenges Index (FEMA CRCI)
- Baseline Resilience Indicators for Communities (BRIC)
- FEMA National Risk Index (FEMA NRI)
Examples of Identified Uses:
- Risk Assessment
- Hazard Mitigation Planning
- Resilience Planning
- Emergency Operations Planning
- Exercise Development
- Response Operations
For the purposes of this guidance, NAPSG Foundation is providing the following definitions of risk, resilience, and vulnerability. We understand these definitions may vary by discipline and organization.
Risk: A probability or threat of damage, injury, liability, loss, or any other negative occurrence that is caused by external or internal vulnerabilities, and that may be avoided through preemptive action. Source: Business Dictionary
Resilience: The ability of a system, community, or individual exposed to hazards or shocks to resist, absorb, accommodate to and recover from the effects in a timely and efficient manner, including the preservation and restoration of its essential basic structures and functions. Source: United Nations
Vulnerability: The inability of people, organizations, and societies to withstand adverse impacts from multiple stressors to which they are exposed. Source: United Nations
Compare and Explore Indices
Vulnerability or Resilience?
CDC Social Vulnerability Index (SVI)
Community Resilience Challenges Index (CRCI)
The side-by-side maps displayed above serve as an example view of vulnerability and resilience indices available today. CDC SVI illustrates areas in which the community is most socially vulnerable to disasters. The FEMA CRCI provides a relative indication of a community's potential challenges to resilience. By design, these indices tell different stories and are suitable for answering different questions. Use the maps above to compare vulnerability (CDC SVI) versus resilience (CRCI), and ask yourself: Which one is best suited for the questions I am trying to answer?
Index Overviews*
View the Social Indices Overview Chart to see a side-by-side comparison of the 5 indices.
View the Variables Comparison Chart to take a deep dive into the individual variables (or inputs) that make up each of the 5 indices.
*Please be patient as these pages may load slowly.
Detailed Views
Once you've narrowed down your index of choice, view detailed information about each index on the index page:
-
Have you used any of these indices? Help inform this documentation!
We are seeking input from the broader community to document use-cases on the various risk, resilience, and vulnerability indices.
To contribute, use this short feedback form. Survey may also be accessed via the QR code to the right -->
National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation