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

Rural roads throughout the District lead through spectacular scenery. Many are located directly
on the coast, very close to sea level; they are, in fact, the shoreline. In some locations, long
roads lead to only one or two isolated residences. Some of these less-populated roads are
cracked, uneven and potholed.
In many locations both along the coast, such as the Stonehurst/Blue Rocks area, along the
LaHave River, and Green Bay, rock armouring has been placed to protect roads and residences.
In some areas, storm damage to this armouring is clearly visible.
The road and powerlines on the narrow Crescent Beach leading to the LaHave Islands are close
to sea level and appear precarious and highly exposed. Wooden cribbing and rose bushes are in
place to help stabilize the fragile sand dunes.
Summary of Field Observations
Field observations performed in the District of Lunenburg do not provide conclusive knowledge
of social vulnerability. They suggest, however, the potential for loss of access or loss of electrical
power to island and peninsular communities, or that new residents may have limited awareness
of the hazards of locating directly on the coast, and are concerns relevant to climate change
impacts in the study area. Field observations also suggest that households and individuals with
lower socioeconomic status are dispersed throughout the area, rather than being concentrated
in particular communities or areas.
Index of Social Vulnerability
The following section discusses the results of the index of social vulnerability. The level of social
vulnerability in each dissemination area is calculated by measuring the prevalence of each factor
of social vulnerability as a percentage of the total population, and expressing that percentage by
the number of standard deviations that it falls above or below the mean for Nova Scotia.
Because all statistics used in the study measure proportion of the population that experiences a
characteristic that increases social vulnerability, higher scores always indicate greater social
vulnerability.
The results are expressed visually by grouping them into seven equal categories (Table 1),
which are each assigned a colour in a range from red (high vulnerability) to green (low
vulnerability).
Level of Social Vulnerability Standard Deviations from Corresponding Colour
the Mean
Very High +1.25 or more Red
High +0.75 to +1.249 Dark Orange
Above Average +0.25 to +0.749 Light Orange
Average -0.25 to +0.249 Yellow
Below Average -0.25 to -0.749 Light Green
Low -0.749 to -1.249 Medium Green
Very Low -1.25 or more Dark Green
Table 1: Index of Social Vulnerability Classifications
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