Understanding the causes of vulnerabilities for enhancing social-physical resilience: lessons from the Wenchuan earthquake

ABSTRACT

In an effort to understand the social-physical vulnerabilities from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, this research established and validated a conceptual model for natural disaster analysis. The earthquake severely impacted the built environment, with many buildings being destroyed in the earthquake and from secondary impacts. This vulnerable environment exacerbated the poverty in the local residents because of the lack of flat land and the inaccessibility of the mountainous areas. Therefore, there was an interactive relationship between the built environment vulnerability and the social vulnerability. Due to general poverty and low education levels, social vulnerability in rural areas is often the result of poor quality building construction; in the event of an earthquake, therefore, most economic losses and casualties are the result of building destruction. To enhance social-physical resilience, measures should be adopted to mitigate the vulnerability of the built environment and society through actions such as land use planning, the use of seismic-resistant technologies, and investment in infrastructure, education, industrial development, and environmental protection. This research extracts the reasons for the vulnerabilities through an examination of the interactions between the natural environment, the built environment, and the local society. The insights gained have significant theoretical and practical implications in assisting vulnerable communities resist and adapt to natural hazards to achieve sustainable development.

KEYWORDS:

• Disaster mitigation
• earthquake
• reconstruction
• social-physical resilience
• vulnerability

Acknowledgements

Many thanks are given to the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51579135, 51379104, 51079070), and State Key Laboratory of Hydro science and Engineering (Grant Nos. 2013-KY-5, 2015-KY-5). Major Science and Technology Research Project of Power China (Grant Nos. DJ-ZDZX-2015-01-02, DJ-ZDZX-2015-01-07).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Wenzhe Tang http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4419-7565

Colin F. Duffield http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6497-7759

Additional information

Funding

Many thanks are given to the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 51579135], [grant number 51379104], and [grant number 51079070], and State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering [grant number 2013-KY-5] and [grant number 2015-KY-5]. Major Science and Technology Research Project of Power China [grant number DJ-ZDZX-2015-01-02] and [grant number DJ-ZDZX-2015-01-07].