Repensando la vulnerabilidad: una reflexión acerca de su ontología y fortalezas metodológicas para su integración en la Evaluación de Impacto Social

En este trabajo se realiza una exploración del concepto de vulnerabilidad a diferentes niveles a través de la utilización de un caso de estudio concreto: la realidad socio-ambiental del colectivo indígena Wayúu en La Guajira, Colombia. Este lugar, caracterizado por la notable adversidad de sus condiciones climáticas y por la presencia de un número relevante de indígenas organizados en torno a una estructura socio-económica inequívocamente deficitaria, se convierte en un contexto especialmente significativo para llevar a cabo el estudio de la vulnerabilidad, más aún teniendo en cuenta la existencia de un conflicto socio-ambiental protagonizado por las comunidades locales y las compañías privadas del sector minero por la lucha de los recursos disponibles. Los efectos del desarrollo sobre el colectivo indígena están siendo devastadores, puesto que las externalidades negativas de las diferentes actividades económicas están siendo socializadas al tiempo que se privatiza la obtención de los beneficios. Al hilo del caso, este trabajo pretende repensar el concepto de vulnerabilidad a distintos niveles. En primer lugar se intentan asentar sus bases ontológicas a través de una revisión reflexiva de la literatura especializada que permita superar algunas de las inconcreciones definitorias que caracterizan al concepto. Más tarde se propone un método de encauzar la medición de la vulnerabilidad y explotar sus potencialidades metodológicas. Todo ello se encamina hacia la integración de la vulnerabilidad dentro de las Evaluaciones de Impacto Social (EIS), una herramienta de análisis que evalúa las consecuencias sociales producidas por proyectos de desarrollo concretos que generan un foco de emisión de impactos sobre una comunidad determinada. A nuestro juicio, la vulnerabilidad debe gozar de un rol principal y sistemático dentro de esta herramienta social de análisis, ya que su naturaleza conceptual permita integrar de forma holística los distintos factores de adaptabilidad que caracterizan a una comunidad y territorio concretos, lo que posibilita una evaluación adecuada de los impactos que soporta y filtra una comunidad a través de los diferentes elementos capacitivos disponibles o factores de vulnerabilidad. Este trabajo, por tanto, conduce hacia la aplicación del concepto de vulnerabilidad en los análisis que miden las consecuencias sociales producidas por el cambio

How Social are Flood Risk Management Plans in Spain?

Due to the weaknesses of the technocratic model in providing integrated, sustainable flood risk management, a new approach has emerged aimed at promoting adaptive strategies by means of non-structural measures, such as raising awareness among exposed populations and improving their adaptive response to risk. However, the emerging nature of these measures makes it necessary to analyse the way in which this social approach is being implemented in the day-to-day practice of flood risk management. Thus the aim of this paper is to assess the integration of social actions of risk response and public participation into risk management processes. To this end, 14 Spanish flood risk management plans (FRMPs) were reviewed and codified by means of a documentary content analysis. The coding process was designed according to the models of social capacity building and participatory assessment in flood risk management. The resulting analysis provided information on the characteristics of participatory processes in the development of FRMPs and on five areas of social initiatives for capacity building: knowledge, financing, motivation, governance and networks. The results revealed the limited quality of participatory processes due to procedural weaknesses and low representation of social actors. Also, social actions were focused on the promotion of risk awareness and showed a lack of technical detail that reduced their potential for implementation. Thus this paper argues that the social approach has not been transferred to practice in flood risk management, since the development of measures is still predominantly shaped by the traditional technocratic approach.This study was carried out within the framework of the National Programme for University Teacher Training (FPU) of the Spanish Universities Ministry and funded by a grant awarded to the second author of the paper

Seismic Risk through Social Vulnerability: A Methodological Proposal for the Evaluation of the Seismic Vulnerability on the Coast of Alicante, Spain

The province of Alicante (Spain), especially the southern part, is one of the regions with the highest seismic risk in the peninsular territory. The interaction between the high seismic danger and the social vulnerability that characterizes the coast of the province of Alicante implies a significant level of risk. Based on this, this paper criticizes the lack of analytical depth in the field of seismology and seismic risk planning to analyze and evaluate the seismic vulnerability that characterizes a population. In particular, a total lack of social factor has been verified in the evaluation of the seismic vulnerability, as well as an absesnce of a procedural perspective in the construction of the risk. However, an excessively technical seismic risk management has been found, exclusively based on the analysis of the architectural resistance of the buildings. This paper argues the need to rethink the concept of seismic risk in depth, in order to understand it as a socially constructed process. In addition, a specific methodological proposal is made to analyze and evaluate the seismic vulnerability of the municipalities of the Alicante coast in an integrated way. This area is exposed to social and economic phenomena that make them especially sensitive to the effects of seismic movements. In short, this paper claims the need to dispute the hegemony of the technocratic paradigm that dominates the analysis and planning of seismic risk in order to move towards a more integrated and multidisciplinary approach that allows to increase the seismic-social resilience of society and territory

Social impact assessment: a methodological proposal aimed at proactive project management

Este trabajo aborda los principales déficits conceptuales y metodológicos de la Evaluación de Impacto Social (EIS) en el ámbito latinoamericano. Este campo de estudio no ha consensuado las bases paradigmáticas que ordenan su diseño y práctica. A fin de asentar su conceptualización, proponemos un análisis de las características ontológicas, epistemológicas y axiológicas de los dos principales paradigmas en EIS. Tales déficits conceptuales han comprometido el desarrollo metodológico de esta especialidad. Realizamos una propuesta metodológica aplicada de EIS que recoge las principales fases, métodos y técnicas. Esta propuesta está orientada a la gestión proactiva de los impactos sociales provocados por proyectos.This paper addresses the main conceptual and methodological deficits of Social Impact Assessment (SIA) in Latin America. This field of study has not established the paradigmatic bases of its design and practice. In order to establish a conceptualization, we propose an analysis of the ontological, epistemological and axiological characteristics of the two main SIA paradigms. Such conceptual deficits have hindered the methodological development of this specialty. We make an applied methodological proposal of SIA that includes the main phases, methods and techniques. This proposal is aimed at the proactive management of social impacts caused by projects

Adapting Social Impact Assessment to Flood Risk Management

In the context of climate change, a significant increase in the flood risk is expected, which may lead to an intensification of the social impacts of disasters. Social impacts significantly affect the recovery processes of individuals, social groups, and institutions in the medium and long term. Hence, the management of such impacts throughout the disaster life cycle is essential. International institutions and frameworks for disaster risk reduction have claimed the need to generate tools for the systematic assessment and management of social impacts of floods. Recently, an innovative line of research has emerged aimed at adapting social impact assessment (SIA), usually directed at the evaluation of planned interventions (programs, plans and projects), to the field of environmental disasters. In order to contribute to academic efforts in this emerging field, this paper puts forward, through a systematic literature review based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria, an SIA methodological proposal for the identification, assessment and systematic management of the social impacts of flood events. This methodological proposal covers the three phases of the disaster cycle: (1) pre-event (preparedness), allowing the anticipation of potential impacts and supporting the proposal of preventive measures; (2) event (response), facilitating a strategic mobilization of resources and technical support towards previously identified critical disaster areas; and (3) post-event (recovery), evaluating the evolutionary dynamics of impacts, proposing measures to avoid their socio-territorial embedding and accelerating recovery processes. This tool is designed for strategic use by policy makers and managers responsible for flood risk management and regional development

Rethinking vulnerability: a reflection on ontology and methodological strengths for integration in the evaluation of social impact

En este trabajo se realiza una exploración del concepto de vulnerabilidad a diferentes niveles. En primer lugar se intentan asentar sus bases ontológicas a través de una revisión reflexiva de la literatura especializada para superar algunas de las inconcreciones definitorias que caracterizan al concepto. Más tarde se propone un método de encauzar la medición de la vulnerabilidad y explotar sus potencialidades metodológicas para acabar logrando la integración del concepto de vulnerabilidad dentro de la metodología de Evaluación de Impacto Social (EIS), una herramienta de análisis que evalúa las consecuencias sociales producidas por proyectos de desarrollo concretos que generan un foco de emisión de impactos sobre una comunidad determinada. A nuestro juicio, la vulnerabilidad debe tener un rol principal y sistemático dentro de esta herramienta social de análisis, ya que su naturaleza conceptual permite integrar los distintos factores de adaptabilidad que caracterizan a una comunidad y territorio concretos en un único cuerpo explicativo, algo que posibilita una potente evaluación de los impactos que un ente soporta. Este trabajo, por tanto, pretende repensar el concepto de vulnerabilidad en el ámbito ontológico para lograr, en un estadio posterior, instrumentalizar el concepto e integrarlo de lleno en los análisis que miden las consecuencias sociales producidas por el cambio.In this work we carry out an exploration of the concept of vulnerability at different levels. In the first place, we try to establish its ontological bases through a reflexive revision of the specialized literature to overcome some of the defining in concretions that characterize the concept. Later we propose a method to guide the measurement of vulnerability and exploit its methodological potential to end up achieving the integration of the concept of vulnerability within the methodology of Social Impact Assessment (SIA), an analysis tool that evaluates the social consequences produced For specific development projects that generate a focus of emission of impacts on a community. In our view, vulnerability must have a main and systematic role within this social analysis tool, since its conceptual nature allows integrating the different factors of adaptability that characterize a specific community and territory in a single explanatory body, something that makes possible A powerful evaluation of the impacts that an entity supports. This work, therefore, aims to rethink the concept of vulnerability in the ontological field to achieve, at a later stage, instrumentalize the concept and integrate it fully in the analyzes that measure the social consequences produced by the change

Factors of uncertainty in the integrated management of water resources: The case of water reuse

The non-conventional water resources (water reuse (WR) and desalination) are a strategic option to compensate the structural water deficit of the southeast of Spain. In addition to increasing water availability and reducing the pressure on conventional resources, these resources show strategic functions at environmental, social and economic level. However, WR does not experience sufficient acceptance by some water users. Uncertainties regarding the quality of reclaimed water, food safety, price or regulations are factors of rejection or ambiguity. The results of a survey carried out on 114 users belonging to irrigation communities of several river basins in Spain are presented. In general, results show a moderate level of implementation of WR. However, the growth potential of WR is significantly high. This depends on water quality and price, which are the two most important valuation factors of WR. Regulations, food safety or water quality for crops generate uncertainty and concern among the irrigation communities. The effects on the environment or the control of availability are aspects positively valued. Conventional resources (transfers and groundwater) are better valued than non-conventional ones (WR and desalination). This constitutes a factor of vulnerability to consolidate the transformation of the Spanish hydrological model. The information presented can be useful to guide the design of future hydrological policies and reduce the socio-institutional vulnerability related to the integrated management of water resources.This study has been conducted within the grant received from the Programa Nacional de Formación de Profesorado Universitario (FPU) conceded by the Spanish Ministry of Science to the first author. The authors also acknowledge the support provided by the project LIFE15 ENV/ES/000598 ‘Development of an efficient and sustainable methodology for emerging pollutants removal in WWTPs (EMPORE)’ funded by the European Commission (EU)

Addressing the social effects of irrigated agriculture

La expansión de la agricultura de regadío en el sureste español ha generado un intenso debate en torno a la dicotomía economía vs. medio ambiente del que han quedado tradicionalmente excluidos los criterios sociales. Para afrontar esta carencia, el objetivo de este estudio ha consistido en identificar y visibilizar los principales efectos sociales de la agricultura de regadío, mediante el caso de estudio del área de actuación de la Comunidad de Regantes del Campo de Cartagena. La metodología ha empleado cinco fuentes de datos: revisión bibliográfica, análisis de hemeroteca, análisis de datos secundarios, entrevistas semiestructuradas con actores clave y entrevistas estructuradas con empresas agrícolas. Los resultados se dividen en tres subapartados: a) demografía, que muestra las transformaciones poblacionales asociadas al desarrollo de la agricultura de regadío; b) empleo y distribución de la riqueza, que señala el papel del sector como motor de generación de empleo, y la persistencia de condiciones laborales precarias; c) responsabilidad y legitimidad social, que aborda la crisis de reputación del sector y las medidas de responsabilidad empresarial aplicadas para contrarrestarla. Así, el estudio trasciende el tradicional debate dicotómico, discutiendo la incidencia social del sector del regadío e identificando áreas de responsabilidad para una gestión socialmente sostenible.The expansion of irrigated agriculture in southeast Spain has given rise to an intense debate that has revolved around the economy vs. environment dichotomy, but which has not included social criteria. In order to contribute new perspectives to this debate, the aim of this study was to identify and make visible the social effects of irrigated agriculture, supported by a case study. The methodology adopted for this purpose was based on five data sources: a literature review, a newspaper archive analysis, a secondary data analysis, semi-structured interviews with stakeholders, and structured interviews with representatives of agricultural firms. The results were divided into three topic areas: (a) demography, revealing how the agricultural sector has transformed population dynamics; (b) employment and wealth distribution, showing on the one hand that the sector creates employment but that, on the other, precarious labour conditions have persisted; and (c) social responsibility and legitimacy, reflecting the reputational crisis experienced by the sector and demonstrating that the corporate responsibility measures applied to counter this, although growing in number, are still insufficient. The study thus goes beyond the traditional dichotomous debate, discussing social issues and identifying areas of responsibility for socially sustainable management of the agricultural sector

Assessing Social Perceptions of Emerging Pollutants in South-East Spain

EMPORE project, co-funded by LIFE Programme (LIFE15 ENV/ES/000598), aims to demonstrate an innovative, cost-efficient and highly replicable technology for the removal of Emerging Pollutants (EPs) from European Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs). In action, C2, a set of indicators to monitor the socio-economic impact of EPs removal, was developed. Framed in this action, a robust assessment of the social perception of these contaminants was performed in the South-East Spain, where the use of reclaimed water is widespread due to the structural water scarcity. An expert consultation by means of a survey technique was held from November to December of 2018 with a sample size of 114 cases. The survey focused on regulation, risk perception, technologies and socio-economic impact. A descriptive analysis of 19 variables was carried out. In general, the results suggest that the presence of EPs can be a significant risk and destabilization factor in the reuse of wastewaters. The impact of new regulations concerning EPs awakes uncertainty among water experts. Aspects such as the price of water free of EPs, treatment costs or the potential of different technologies to remove these compounds are sources of ambiguity. Nevertheless, experts believe new regulations on EPs will positively influence public health, social confidence or environmental sustainability, among others. It highlights that experts agree that the future of the reuse of wastewater passes through the combination of technologies. These findings provide water planning policy makers with very useful information in the water resources management of the South-East Spain because recent European laws can set new limits of emerging pollutants in waters.This project was produced under the co-finance of the European financial instrument for the Environment (LIFE) programme during the implementation of the project “LIFE EMPORE” (LIFE15 ENV/ES/000598). Pablo Aznar-Crespo and Antonio Jodar-Abellan acknowledge financial support received from the Spanish FPU scholarship for the training of university teachers. In the same way, this work has been conducted within the Cátedra del Agua of the University of Alicante (https://catedradelaguaua.org/)