Social Vulnerability Assessment of Disaster Risks in Manay, Davao Oriental

Abstract

This study examined the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) of Manay, Davao Oriental, in relation to earthquake, landslide, and flooding hazards. Despite increasing exposure to multiple hazards, localized and integrated assessments of socio-economic and spatial drivers of vulnerability at the barangay level remain limited, resulting in gaps in disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) planning. A mixed-methods approach was employed, using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to determine indicator weights and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques to map the spatial distribution of vulnerability. Quantitative data from survey respondents were triangulated with qualitative insights from key informant interviews (KII) and focus group discussions (FGDs). Results indicate that vulnerability is spatially heterogeneous and shaped by both environmental and socio-economic conditions. Lower SVI values were associated with higher adaptive capacity; barangays with lower SVI values had high adaptive capacity and resilience, whereas barangays with higher exposure and sensitivity had higher SVI. The barangay of San Fermin had the highest SVI value for earthquakes (0.9992), and the barangay of Manreza had the lowest (0.3132). For landslide hazards, San Fermin also had a very high vulnerability (0.965), while Manreza had a low vulnerability (0.318). For the flooding hazard, Central has a highly vulnerable score (0.7779), and Concepcion has a moderate score (0.548). Overall, 58% of the barangays evaluated had high SVI for earthquake, 69% were found highly vulnerable to landslides, and 33% were highly vulnerable to flooding. Barangays with high population density, hazard-prone locations, and limited resources consistently exhibited higher vulnerability. The findings highlight that social vulnerability is multi-dimensional, spatially clustered, and socially embedded, underscoring the need for integrated, place-based DRRM strategies.