Hazard Vulnerability Similarity Indicators
There are 25 hazard similarity indicators used by the Resilient-C platform to calculate Hazards Vulnerability Similarity Index (HVSI) values during community comparisons. Our team established each of these indicators based on a review of the academic literature on hazards vulnerability and resilience and a review of the data available to us on coastal communities at regional and national scales. When combined, these 25 indicators help us to establish community hazard vulnerability profiles that allow us to determine those communities that face similar hazard landscapes to each other.
Indicators are broken into five capitals: economic, social, built environment, natural environment, and institutional. Each of theses capitals is split into five dimensions that explore specific aspects of a community: size, spatial structure, composition, integration, and change dimensions.
| Dimension | economic | social | built environment | natural environment | institutional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | Median Household Income | Total Population | Median Value of Dwellings | Coastline Length | Revenue per Capita |
| Spatial Structure | Businesses in the Coastal Zone | Population in the Coastal Zone | Coastal Land Use | Slope 5 Degrees and Above | Critical Infrastructure in the Coastal Zone |
| Composition | Coastally Dependent Businesses | Vulnerable Populations | Multifamily Housing | Coastal Wetlands | Governance Position |
| Integration | Unemployment Rate | Non-Fluent Speakers | Transport Connectivity | Coastline Complexity | Transfer Payments |
| Change | Business Trend | In-Migration Past 5 Years | Older Dwellings | Mean Vertical Tidal Range | Political Turnover |
| Figure 1: The 25 Hazard Vulnerability Similarity Indicators used on the Resilient-C Platform | |||||
| Economic Indicators | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension | Indicator | Metric | Description |
| Size | Median Household Income | $ |
Total average income earned by household members aged 15+ years, averaged across all households. Data Source: 2016 Census Profiles |
| Spatial Structure | Businesses In The Coastal Zone | % |
The percentage of community businesses located within the 500m coastal zone. Data Source: DMTI CanMap Content Suite, v2020.3 |
| Composition | Coastally Dependent Businesses | % |
The percentage of community businesses likely to be dependent upon access to, materials gained from, and/or goods transported by coastal waters as defined by NAICS/SIC codes. Data Source: DMTI CanMap Content Suite, v2020.3 |
| Integration | Unemployment Rate | % |
The percentage of total labour force aged 15+ years that is not employed but actively seeking employment. Data Source: 2016 Census Profiles |
| Change | Business Trend | % |
The percent change in the number of community businesses over the past four years. Data Source: DMTI CanMap Content Suite, v2020.3 |
| Built Environment Indicators | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension | Indicator | Metric | Description |
| Size | Median Value Of Dwellings | $ |
The median value a homeowner could expect if their dwelling were to be sold. Data Source: 2016 Census Profiles |
| Spatial Structure | Coastal Land Use | — |
The types and intensity of development within the 500m coastal zone: 1) Green, 2) Green with significant agriculture, 3) Mixed grey and green, 4) Grey, and 5) Grey with significant industry/commercial. Data Source: Canadian Land Cover, Circa 2000, GeoBase Series; DMTI CanMap Content Suite, v2020.3 |
| Composition | Multifamily Housing | % |
The percentage of the community's housing classified as multifamily. Data Source: 2016 Census Profiles |
| Integration | Transport Connectivity | # |
The number of major neighbouring communities that are located within a one-hour drive along major road and/or ferry routes. Data Source: 2016 Census Profiles; DMTI CanMap Content Suite, v2020.3 |
| Change | Older Dwellings | % |
The percentage of the community's occupied private dwellings that were built prior to 1961. Data Source: 2016 Census Profiles |
| Natural Environment Indicators | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension | Indicator | Metric | Description |
| Size | Coastline Length | km |
Total length of the community's coastline. Data Source: 2016 Census Profiles |
| Spatial Structure | Slope 5 Degrees And Above | % |
The percentage of the community's 500m coastal zone where slope is greater than or equal to five degrees. Data Source: Canadian Digital Elevation Model |
| Composition | Coastal Wetlands | % |
The percentage of the area within 100m of the coastline that is wetlands. Data Source: Provincial Wetlands Data; DMTI CanMap Content Suite, v2020.3 |
| Integration | Coastline Complexity | ratio |
A sinuosity measure of the coastline (how "twisty" or "curvy" it is), reflecting potential coastal exposure . Data Source: 2016 Census Boundary Files |
| Change | Mean Vertical Tidal Range | m |
The range between sea level at mean high tide and mean low tide. Data Source: Canadian Hydrographic Service's Tidal Data |
| Institutional Indicators | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension | Indicator | Metric | Description |
| Size | Revenue Per Capita | $ |
The combined income of the local government from all sources, divided by the community's total population. Data Source: Provincial Municipal Statistics |
| Spatial Structure | Critical Infrastructure In The Coastal Zone | % |
The percentage of key critical infrastructure structures (i.e., fire, police, elementary and secondary schools, and health service points) located within the 500m coastal zone. Data Source: DMTI CanMap Content Suite, v2020.3 |
| Composition | Governance Position | — |
The position of local government within the larger governance framework: 1) Self-governed and Indigenous communities, 2) Unincorporated areas, 3) Incorporated municipalities, and 4) Provincial capitals and metropolitan centres. Data Source: 2016 Census Boundary Files |
| Integration | Transfer Payments | % |
The percentage of total revenue that the community received as transfer payments from federal, provincial, regional, and other governments. Data Source: Provincial Municipal Statistics |
| Change | Political Turnover | % |
The percentage change in elected officials (i.e., mayors, deputy mayors, councillors, and aldermen) over the last several election cycles. Data Source: Provincial Municipal Election Results |
The total number of people living in the community.
Data Source: 2016 Census Profiles
The percentage of community population living within the 500m coastal zone.
Data Source: 2016 Census Profiles
The percentage of the community population that falls into three particularly vulnerable groups: children and youth under 15, adults 65+, and/or low-income earners.
Data Source: 2016 Census Profiles
The percentage of community population that is not fluent in the province's official language(s).
Data Source: 2016 Census Profiles
The percentage of community population that moved into the community within the last five years.
Data Source: 2016 Census Profiles