Resilience–Vulnerability Analysis: A Decision-Making Framework for Systems Assessment

Nikolaos A. Skondras, Demetrios E. Tsesmelis, Constantina G. Vasilakou and Christos A. Karavitis
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Nikolaos A. Skondras: Department of Natural Resources Development & Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece
Demetrios E. Tsesmelis: Department of Natural Resources Development & Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece
Constantina G. Vasilakou: Department of Natural Resources Development & Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece
Christos A. Karavitis: Department of Natural Resources Development & Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 22, 1-14

Abstract: The terms ‘resilience’ and ‘vulnerability’ have been widely used, with multiple interpretations in a plethora of disciplines. Such a variety may easily become confusing, and could create misconceptions among the different users. Policy makers who are bound to make decisions in key spatial and temporal points may especially suffer from these misconceptions. The need for decisions may become even more pressing in times of crisis, where the weaknesses of a system are exposed, and immediate actions to enhance the systemic strengths should be made. The analysis framework proposed in the current effort, and demonstrated in hypothetical forest fire cases, tries to focus on the combined use of simplified versions of the resilience and vulnerability concepts. Their relations and outcomes are also explored, in an effort to provide decision makers with an initial assessment of the information required to deal with complex systems. It is believed that the framework may offer some service towards the development of a more integrated and applicable tool, in order to further expand the concepts of resilience and vulnerability. Additionally, the results of the framework can be used as inputs in other decision making techniques and approaches. This increases the added value of the framework as a tool.

Keywords: resilience; vulnerability; systems analysis; systems attributes; decision making (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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