Vulnerability and the Role of Local and State Government in Case of a Disaster
Class: Natural Disaster Management
Topic: Roles and Responsibilities of Government In Emergency Situations
Written Assignment #1 - Week 2
***Please see the attached assignment sheet to know what to discuss in paper.****
Having read the material for weeks one and two as indicated in the Course Syllabus, along with the respective Weekly Course Lessons and the Weekly Course Announcement, write a clear and descriptive narrative that:
Defines the 'concept of vulnerability'.
Elaborate upon the multi-disciplinary theories that support both the technical and the social origins of the concept of vulnerability; and
Identify the paradigms for qualitative and quantitative assessments of vulnerability.
Further, identify and discuss four actions that local government takes when a disaster occurs;
List three State government actions in response to a disaster that may lead to a Federal disaster declaration.
Research and investigation beyond those materials indicated in the course-ware will be required.
Your assignment must be properly formatted and cited using APA (per the most recent edition of the APA manual).
Your assignment must be a minimum of 750 words, not counting cover page and reference page material. Your writing can be longer, but it cannot be under the minimum indicated word-count for credit.
Do not simply list questions and respond – your work is intended to be a complete, integrative narrative that embodies an introduction a body within which you respond to the targeted questions and a summary and conclusion.
Vulnerability and the Role of Local and State Government in Case of a Disaster
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Introduction
Vulnerability concept is currently used in many disciplines hence multidisciplinary theories supporting the technical and social origins of the idea with a variety of paradigms both qualitative and quantative utilized for assessment. The concept of vulnerability comprises various features that indicate risk, harm, exposure fragility, or susceptibility. The aspects of vulnerability are not restricted to the physical and environmental aspects but include the economic, social, cultural, institutional, psychological, and political factors (Paul, 2013). The term can be hard to elaborate as different people understand it differently, therefore, in this paper we look at the paramount disciplinary paradigms, methods applicable in evaluating the structural, institutional, social and economic vulnerabilities and aid a better understanding. In addition, the paper provides four duties of the local government in case of a disaster, and three prompts influencing a federal disaster declaration.
Multi-disciplinary concepts supporting the technical and social origins of the concept
Fields such as sociology, economics, and psychology help to better understand the concept by providing insights. The multidisciplinary theories support the technical origins of the concept in many ways one being through environmental science. Environmental factors such as disasters, climatic changes, and depletion of natural resources can cause vulnerability. The pressure and release (PAR) model has been used to show the connection between vulnerability, social safety, and hazard. According to the model, for a disaster to occur, there is a tangent between the counter forces of natural disasters and the process that produces vulnerability (Paul, 2013). The model comprises three elements