Although social vulnerability has recently gained attention in academic studies, Brazil lacks frameworks and indicators to assess it for the entire country. Social vulnerability highlights differences in the human capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. It varies over space and time, and among and between social groups, largely due to differences in socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. This article provides a social vulnerability index (SoVI Ò ) replication study for Brazil and shows how SoVI Ò concepts and indicators were adapted to the country. SoVI Ò Brazil follows the place-based framework adopted in the Social Vulnerability Index initially developed for the United States. Using a principal component analysis (PCA), 45 city-level indicators were reduced to 10 factors that explain about 67 % of the variance in the data. Clearly identified spatial patterns showed a concentration of the most socially vulnerable cities in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, as well as the social vulnerability of metropolitan areas and state capitals in the South and Southeast regions. The least vulnerable cities are mainly concentrated in the inland regions of the Southeast. Although different factors contribute to the social vulnerability in each city, the overall results confirm the social and economic disparities among Brazilian's regions and reflect a differential vulnerability to natural hazards at local to regional scales.

This is a discussion on social vulnerability and the construction of a warning system in a broader scenario of non-fulfilled demands and increasing risks, aiming at the elaboration of public policies concerning natural disasters in urban areas. Empirical exercise takes place in the city of Curitiba, Southern Brazil. Article is based on both conceptual approaches revealing complexity of such topic as well as on risk reduction action facing natural adverse events. Case study describes a statistical procedure to identify risks and allow preparedness action taking place 24 hours before events. Urban context is that of Brazilian cities, revealing persistent spatial inequalities in the way inhabitants build, use, and transform urban compartments. Research presented can be contextualized in a scenario where adverse phenomena should deeply influence the elaboration of long term urban public policies but, according to a necessary pragmatism, also indicate emergency tailored actions. Conclusions indicate that 1. Urban management institutional framework can count on models to predict flooding impacts and reduce human and economic losses, and 2. Expertise in emergency action cannot lure the need for structural changes and long-term planning actions.

Brazil. His main areas of interest and research are land use legislation, natural accidents and their impacts on urban land use, assessment of large urban projects, and conceptual aspects of the city. He has written many articles and books on these subjects, mostly in Portuguese. He also serves as an advisor on dissertations and theses concerning his areas of expertise. His current research project is focused on the role of international aid agencies in disaster recovery action. ABSTRACTThis is a theoretical discussion on social vulnerability and on the construction of vulnerability indexes. Empirical exercise takes place in the city of Curitiba, Southern Brazil. Article is based on both conceptual approaches revealing complexity of such topic as well as on empirical demands to establish priorities in terms of risk reduction action facing natural adverse events and distribution of resources in post-disaster recovery. Urban context is that of Brazilian cities, revealing recurrent inequalities in the way inhabitants build, use, and transform urban compartments. Research presented here can be contextualized in a scenario where adverse phenomena should deeply influence the elaboration of urban public policies. Its main target is to contribute to the identification of parameters to channel public resources in preparedness actions facing adverse situations. RESUMENEsta es una discusión teórica sobre la vulnerabilidad social y la construcción de los índices de vulnerabilidad. El ejercicio empírico se llevó a cabo en la ciudad de Curitiba, sur de Brasil. El artículo se basa en dos enfoques conceptuales que revelan la complejidad de este tema, así como de las necesidades básicas para la fijación de prioridades, en términos de acción, la reducción del riesgo de eventos naturales adversos y la distribución de los recursos en la recuperación post-desastre. El contexto urbano es el de las ciudades brasileñas, que destaca las desigualdades en la forma en que los habitantes construyen, utilizan y transforman los sectores urbanos. La investigación que aquí se presenta puede ser contextualizada en un escenario en el que las circunstancias adversas deberían afectar profundamente el desarrollo de políticas públicas urbanas. Su objetivo principal es contribuir a la identificación de parámetros para la canalización de recursos públicos en la preparación para hacer frente a situaciones adversas.