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

The District’s extensive and irregular coastline results in high exposure to the impacts of sea
level rise and storm surge. The study found that sea level rise alone could disrupt access in
some areas, and hundreds of residences could be either inundated through sea level rise, even
in the short term, or isolated under the storm surge scenarios. Fortunately, few services that
socially vulnerable populations rely on are likely to be impacted. Damage to roads and power
lines are a significant concern, and could increase social vulnerability by causing loss of
electrical power, the isolation of residents from essential services, and disrupted access by
emergency services. Lack of land use planning in the majority of the District allows new
construction in at-risk locations, increasing the number of residents who could be directly
affected.
On average, overall social vulnerability in the District is near or below average, as assessed in
the context of Nova Scotia. High property values along the coast influence the calculation of
social vulnerability for the coastal dissemination areas; the result is that social vulnerability is not
high in the areas with the highest physical risk. However, socially vulnerable populations do
exist in coastal areas, such as in Dissemination Area 117, which includes coastal areas on either
side of the LaHave River, as well as the LaHave Islands – areas that are at high risk of
inundation and isolation.
Many areas that have average or below average overall social vulnerability also have above
average levels of social vulnerability for particular indicators, such as the proportion of senior
citizens among the population, residents with low levels of education, and recent immigrants.
The assessment of social vulnerability provides decision makers and service providers in the
District of Lunenburg with the knowledge necessary to incorporate considerations of social
vulnerability into land use and emergency management planning. Understanding the strengths
and weaknesses of various geographic areas will allow emergency management planners to
target each area with the most appropriate type of assistance, in order to reduce overall
vulnerability.
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