[Proposal] Vulnerability category codelist

[odscrachel]

What is your proposed change?

To create a new codelist for the field category within the vulnerability component.

Title	Field name	Description	Type	Codelist
Exposure category	category	The category of the assets described in the dataset.	string	population, buildings, infrastructures, agriculture, natural environment

[matamadio]

This is the same field as present in the exposure component (#62) - can be used to link the two components. Should it be fixed, or could it be an open list? Expecting some datasets might have a particular level, e.g. infrastructures (roads).

[stufraser1]

This was intended as a high level category. Roads, rail, etc would be specified in taxonomy

[duncandewhurst]

What is the proposed codelist based on? I'm unclear on the difference between buildings and infrastructure, e.g. would an exposure dataset about schools be classified as buildings or infrastructure?

[matamadio]

From the original documentation about exposure, schema.

It is basically the way that GED4ALL frames it. Note that:

• we added Population
• we split Agriculture (crops, livestock) and Natural environment (forestry)

I'm unclear on the difference between buildings and infrastructure, e.g. would an exposure dataset about schools be classified as buildings or infrastructure?

Buildings refer to residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Infrastructures refer to lifelines (transport, electricity network etc) and public-use buildings (such as schools, hospitals, fire stations etc).

[duncandewhurst]

Thanks! That makes sense. I've drafted descriptions for the codes based on GED4ALL.

The only one I'm unsure about is 'population'. Please could you provide a description for that code? I also think that 'people' would fit better with the other codes than 'population'.

Is it usual practice in disaster risk management to consider people as an asset? If not, we might need to reword the description of category.

Code	Title	Description
population	Population
buildings	Buildings	Residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
infrastructure	Infrastructure	Infrastructure, including transport, communications, energy, water, health and education facilities.
agriculture	Agriculture	Agriculture, including crops, livestock and agribusiness.
naturalEnvironment	Natural environment	The natural environment, including forestry and other types of vegetation.

[stufraser1]

@matamadio I propose to include health and education and other public buildings in buildings with R/C/I. Of course we refer to schools, hospitals as critical infrastructure, but I would also describe them in an analysis as public buildings. They fit better into buildings conceptually when people think about the asset type, with infrastructure being reserved for systems or network and points that transport, comms, supply infrastructure fall into.

[matamadio]

That is true, population isn't strictly a location-fixed "asset", except it is often treated like it is: an indication of the density of exposed value in one place, and driver of the mortality losses in that place. GED4ALL considers population in a separate category.

However that fits more with our Vulnerability - Socio-economic indicators component, in terms of use-case application.

[matamadio]

@matamadio I propose to include health and education and other public buildings in buildings with R/C/I. Of course we refer to schools, hospitals as critical infrastructure, but I would also describe them in an analysis as public buildings. They fit better into buildings conceptually when people think about the asset type, with infrastructure being reserved for systems or network and points that transport, comms, supply infrastructure fall into.

Yes that makes sense, than it would be:

Code	Title	Description
population	Population	People
buildings	Buildings	Residential, commercial, industrial and public-service buildings such as education, healthcare, governmental buildings, etc.
infrastructure	Infrastructure	Lifelines infrastructure, including transport, communications, energy, water.
agriculture	Agriculture	Agriculture, including crops, livestock and agribusiness.
naturalEnvironment	Natural environment	The natural environment, including forestry and other types of vegetation.

[stufraser1]

Great, I've aded edu and hlth in description to make it clear.

[duncandewhurst]

Regarding population density, it still seems not to fit with the other codes to me. If I understood correctly, the purpose of the field and codelist is to categorise what is exposed to risk. So it makes sense to say, for example, "buildings are exposed to risk". It doesn't make sense to say that "population density is exposed to risk" because population density is a measurement rather than an asset. I think that 'people' would be a better fit with the nature of the other codes. Would that work from your perspective?

It still seems a bit odd to describe people as an asset, but that could be addressed by updating the description of category.

Otherwise, the changes look good :-)

[stufraser1]

Updated description to people

[odscjen]

also related to #62 as this codelist will be referenced in Exposure.category as well

[odscjen]

codelist updated in https://github.com/GFDRR/rdl-standard/pull/101, leaving this issue open as it still needs updating in Vulnerability