by: Justine Ravi C. Orduna

The OML Center releases a Science Policy Brief Special Issue  entitled Social Vulnerability: Way Forward After Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) focused on the social vulnerabilities of Tacloban City, Palo, Ormoc City, and Kananga in Leyte.

The SP Brief listed several social vulnerability issues as observed from the Evidence-based Rehabilitation Study in the Yolanda-affected Areas conducted by the Center since November 2013. Among the observations were:

• The Philippines is the 2nd most-at-risk country to natural diasters and climate change.
• There is limited baseline vulnerability information to guide effective risk reduction decisions.
• Risk reduction strategies need to extend beyond preparedness and response, and should consider major vulnerability issues.
• Vulerability reduction should be be a national and local priority and will require strong political will for communtiy-based climate and disaster action and disaster risk reduction.

Read about the SP Brief here.