Lunenburg Part 2 - Section 5 - Social Vulnerability - August 30.pdf

alone are particularly vulnerable if injured at home during an extreme weather event, or if they
lack emergency supplies or a heat source in cold climates. 78
Lone Parents
Census Canada Statistic: Total lone-parent families.
Lone parent households are commonly included in indices of social vulnerability. 79 These
households are at greater risk in a natural hazard because lone parents bear sole responsibility
for their household, and do not have access to the support network that a household of more
than one adult provides. 80 Single parents may be too busy caring for their children to engage
effectively in preparation, evacuation, or recovery; and reliance on a single income or social
assistance may limit their financial means. 81
These experiences hold true for single parents in Canada, where single mothers have the
highest poverty rates of any population subgroup, and the lack of universal childcare restricts
single parents’ ability to participate in other activities. 82
No Secondary Education
Census Canada Statistic: Total population 15 years and over with no certificate, diploma or
degree. Certificates, diplomas and degrees include secondary school graduation,
registered apprenticeship and trades, college, and university. 83
Low levels of education contribute to social vulnerability both directly and indirectly. People with
limited literacy may be unable to understand warnings about anticipated weather events, or
instructions regarding protective measures, evacuation procedures, or recovery assistance.
Education may facilitate a scientific understanding of the complex nature of natural hazards, and
of advanced warnings in the form of forecast data. 84
More generally, education can foster the ability to plan for future situations, such as climate
change impacts. 85 However, researchers also note that indigenous knowledge and informal
education may be equally useful as formal education in understanding and anticipating extreme
weather events. 86
Low education is also associated with poverty and marginalization. Because people with low
socio-economic status are less likely to have a political voice, governments may overlook their
welfare. 87
Education is among the Canadian social determinants of health, and is highly correlated with
other determinants, such as income, employment security and working conditions. 88 Education
provides better access to social and economic resources, as well as increasing understanding of
78 Dwyer et al., 2004, p. 24.
79 Tapsell et al., 2010, p. 29
80 Dwyer et al., 2004, p. 24.
81 Cutter et al., 2003, p. 248; Andrey and Jones, 2008. p.151; Tapsell et al., 2010. p.17.
82 Enarson and Walsh, 2007, p. 46.
83 Statistics Canada, 2010.
84 Adger et al., 2004. p, 75.
85 Wall and Marzall, 2006. p. 382.
86 Adger et al., 2004. p. 60.
87 Ibid.
88 Mikkonen and Raphael, 2010. p. 15; Public Health Agency of Canada, 2003.
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