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Vulnerability Disasters Environment

Vulnerability Assessment

The suspectability of an attack by a threat, which probably create some affect is known as vulnerability. It relates to physical hazards and calamities. The conception of vulnerability, links ecological social thrusts and cultural averages to the people, as the people have to tolerate and manage them. The totality of the relationship between social situation and ecological thrusts gives rise to disaster and calamities, so vulnerability focuses on the varied dimensional aspects of calamities through specific emphasis on this relationship. Vulnerability is the level up to which an alteration can raise harm to a system and impact the community. For climate change vulnerability is the degree to which an organization is sensitive to, or unable to equalize, adverse results of climate change, allowing in clime variableness (Bankoff, Frerks & Hilhorst, 2004).

Vulnerability is associated with various calamities and natural disasters. These calamities and disasterts include environment vulnerability, utility and services, criminal behavior, equipment failure and information security vulnerability. Electrical, gas, water, communication and transportation facilities are included in the utilities & service vulnerability. Cyber crime, loss of records and information breaches are linked to information security vulnerability. Earthquake, fire, tornado, flood, landslide and hurricane are included in the environmental vulnerability. terrorism, sabotage, theft, arson, riots and trespassing vulnerabilities are included in criminal behavior. IT equipment and non IT equipment are related to vulnerability of equipment failure (Birkmann, 2006).

This vulnerability study is related to an urbanized health facility (clinic) in southern California, that functions for the low- income business. Southern California is a prominent dry desert area because of which the clime is hot and blistering (Bankoff, Frerks & Hilhorst, 2004). So in this region, there is suspectability of tornado (twister) and grave winds of sand. As analyzed from the case, the area is more suspectible to criminal activities with high traffic and dry winds.

A unified and reiterative access is applied for carrying out vulnerability judgment of an urbanized health healthcare facility(clinic) functioning for low income business. Hazards that might impact the community are examined by hazard danger and vulnerability judgment. The scrutiny of a community's vulnerability must be performed, in deciding the asperity of risky issues. The main vulnerabilities linked to the case are:

Vulnerability of environment: The area is circumvented by tornados and sandy winds as it is as it is a desert region, which is really very dry, hot and blistering. So, the suave and unintimidated functioning of the clinic is not preferred by such atmospheric conditions. This is as well not desirable for the employees and the individuals looking for medical care from the health facility (clinic) (Birkmann, 2006).

Vulnerability of utilities and service: The area lacks the deftness of proper interaction and communication as the health care clinic is situated in low bussiness region. There is also dearth of proper water system due to the desert region. But, the region has great transportation facility which is a negative point if seen as a health concern. It is not hygenic to have high traffic near the clinic. Citizens are more prostrate to contaminated surroundings. It impacts the wellness of the persons who require medical care. Adequate electrical energy services are essential for the health care clinic to utilize the equipments.

Vulnerability of criminal behavior: The area is extremely sensitive to criminal actions. The suspicious crook activenesses in this area are demolition of belongings, illegitimate disruption in others belongings or holdings and so on. It will be destructive for the health care clinic agencies also for the people who are looking for services of the healthcare clinic. It can also damage the workers operating in the clinic and can lead to continuant absence and increment in turnover rate.

Vulnerability of equipment failure: Due to the deficiency of electrical energy and technological problems, the IT equipments and non IT equipments of the clinic can fail sometimes. This might as well, take place due to any condemnable action. It might bar the working of the system and can cut down the figure of customers (Birkmann, 2006).

Vulnerability of information security: The information security is postulated to be managed with care. Loss of track record might head to loss of grace and goodwill of the health clinic.

Vulnerability can be evaluated by the undermentioned measures:

Step 1. Recognition of vital assets- In this step, the assets which are essential to achieve the company's mission like infrastructure, equipment, facilities, personnel etc. are identified.These are really important for the functioning of the system (Polemi & Valvis, 2005).

Step 2. Evaluate vulnerabilities -In this step, the vital assets are measured and consistently assessed for their sustainability and outcomes.

Step 3. Evaluating outcomes- In this step, the assets with high danger for unwanted consequences are discovered and the appraisal is grounded on a structured analysis of the gathered information. The information is compiled about the vital assets for specific vulnerabilities.

Step 4. Discover Measures- This step is for the security of the vital assets from the menaces and vulnerabilities which were evaluated antecedently. It aids in discovering the measures for these exposures.

Step 5. Approximate Monetary value of measures: This step assists in discovering and approximating the monetary value of each measure for the critical assets. Amid the several measures some are picked out to defend the critical assets It offers the world-wide guideposts for computing the monetary value of the picked out measures.

Step 6. Retrospect Functional Security Designing Cost: This step looks out the protection of the critical assets of the system by defending it against the potential outcomes. It also looks back the monetary value obtained for the designing of such a functional security (Polemi & Valvis, 2005).

In accordance with the table exhibited in appendix, it can be resolved that the several disasters, which leads to vulnerability that lies under different precedency levels. These environmental vulnerability components can be assorted into different precedency levels as follows:

Ø      High priority vulnerability level: Tornado

Ø      Medium priority vulnerability level: Fire

Ø      Low priority vulnerability level: Earthquake, flood, landslide and hurricane

The utilities and service vulnerability elements can be classified as follows:

Ø      Medium priority vulnerability level: Transportation

Ø      Low priority vulnerability level: Electrical, gas, water and communication

The criminal behavior vulnerability elements can be classified as follows:

Ø      High priority vulnerability level: Terrorism, sabotage

Ø      Medium priority vulnerability level: Theft, arson, and trespassing

Ø      Low priority vulnerability level: Riots

The equipment failure vulnerability elements can be classified as follows:

Ø      Medium priority vulnerability level: Non IT equipment

Ø      Low priority vulnerability level: IT equipment

The information security vulnerability elements can be classified as follows:

Ø      Medium priority vulnerability level: Loss of records and information breaches

Ø      Low priority vulnerability level: Cyber crime

Recommendations

The clinic agencies ought to take some preventive steps to invalidate the potential calamity vulnerabilities. The critical assets that assist in accomplishing its mission and targets should be protected. The esteemed agencies ought to inquire the Government authorities for calamity management so that they can enforce the needed steps for security of the clinic's assets. The clinic should as well, stress on ameliorating the facilities of electrical energy and water system. It should also concentrate on ameliorating the equipment facilities (Birkmann, 2006).

Conclusion

Thus, it is resolved from the discussion that the clinicis prostrated to average degree of vulnerability. The vulnerability judgment steps cited in the paper can be utilized for productive appraisal of vulnerability.The Southern California region has high precedency vulnerability degree amid torndos, transportation system and sabotage. The area has average precedency vulnerability degree amid fire, terrorist act, theft, arson, non IT equipments and loss of records. Earthquake, floods, landslides, hurricanes, electricity, gas, water, communication, tresspassing, riots, IT equipments, cyber crime and information breaches has low precedency vulnerability degree.

References

Bankoff, G., Frerks, G. & Hilhorst, D. (2004). Mapping Vulnerability: Disasters, Development, and People. Sterling: Earthscan.

Birkmann, J. (2006). Measuring Vulnerability to Natural Hazards - Towards Disaster Resilient Societies. UNU Press.

Polemi, D. & Valvis, G. (2005).Vulnerability Assessment Report Format Data Model. Retrieved July 18, 2008, from http://www.kti.ae.poznan.pl/conferences/i3e/papers/george_valvis.pdf

Appendix B

Week 7: Assignment - Categorizing Vulnerabilities (cont'd)

Disaster Vulnerability Assessment Worksheet

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