Name: Taking vulnerability out of HRVA
Start: 2026-05-12T11:00:00-0600
End: 2026-05-12T12:00:00-0600

2026 CRHNet Symposium

Tuesday May 12, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT

Previously hazard, risk and vulnerability analyses (HRVA) were primarily focused on the hazards, calculating some sort of probability, and the risk to buildings and infrastructure. As the concept of community resiliency has reached greater acceptance, the need to address the vulnerability of community residents and visitors has also gained prominence.
Recent "Requests for Proposals" have stressed the need to consider the vulnerability of people and there are numerous checklists for identifying vulnerability pre-, during and post-disaster. Today, someone may not be considered vulnerable, but if tomorrow they break their leg, they would be classified as medically vulnerable. Clearly, some people are more likely to be severely impacted than others, but is not anyone who is exposed to a hazard, at some point, vulnerable to its impact?
If someone has a strong support network, regardless of whether they are medically compromised, if English/French is a secondary language, are female, young, or older, they may really be quite resilient. Vulnerability, by definition focuses on the weaknesses, resiliency, or an asset-based approach leads us to focus on the strengths. Is it time to replace "vulnerability" with "resiliency" and focus on identifying community strengths, ways to build social networks, and address the root causes of community deficits that lead to some being disproportionately impacted by disasters?
This interactive, and intentionally provocative, presentation introduces examples of how vulnerability is presented in requests for HRVA proposals, reports and findings and will challenge participants to consider and discuss how shifting the focus to a strength-based approach can better support a stronger disaster and emergency management program.

Speakers

Laurie Pearce

Associate Faculty, Royal Roads University

Laurie is well-known in the disaster management community as a practitioner, an educator and a researcher. She teaches in the Master of Disaster and Emergency Management at Royal Roads University, and at the Justice Institute of British Columbia. Laurie provides consultation services... Read More →

Tuesday May 12, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm MDT
PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Productivity and Innovation Centre

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2026 CRHNet Symposium

Laurie Pearce

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2026 CRHNet Symposium

Laurie Pearce

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