Abstract

REYES CHAVES, Jonnathan  and  FERNANDEZ ARCE, Mario. Maximum human vulnerability in Santo Domingo de Heredia. Reflexiones [online]. 2015, vol.94, n.1, pp.37-47. ISSN 1659-2859.

Preventec and the Geography school, both of the University of Costa Rica, joined efforts to make a comprehensive analysis of vulnerability to natural and anthropogenic hazards in the canton (county) Santo Domingo de Heredia. To do this, 27 indicators of vulnerability were evaluated in order to determine the most vulnerable areas of the canton. The work was carried out because there are threats that have caused severe damage to human settlements in Santo Domingo but an estimate of vulnerable elements in this canton has never been done. This research aims to identify the most vulnerable zones and focus the efforts on them to reduce the susceptibility of the population to the impact of the hazards. To meet the goal, an index of vulnerability of value between 0 and 1, with 1 being the most value from vulnerability, was computed in every minimum geostatistics unit (UGM) of Santo Domingo. Then, the critical areas were plotted on a map. The results suggest the Santo Domingo is a canton of low vulnerability and that the critical areas are constrained to flooding zones where the human settlements have significant physical exposure and low economic resources.

Keywords : Vulnerability; hazard; risk; disaster; exposition; indicator.

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