Socioterritorial vulnerability factors to tsunami in Arauco, south central Chile

Abstract

The socioterritorial vulnerability produced by the tsunami is analyzed in Arauco, Biobío region (37ºS), considering as extreme local scenarios the events produced by the tsunami of 1960 and 2010. Representative variables of the physic, socio economical and educational vulnerability were used-which were included in databases to be utilized by the SIG. The study area was divided in 152 blocks, and later the data of each variable per block was obtained through the census (2002) and a survey that was applied to the population. It was established that the extreme event for the location was the tsunami of 1960, and the 84% of blocks have a total medium vulnerability. The results have been analyzed in function to the development of the human scale approach, due to the socio economical characteristics of the population. Starting from this analysis, measures for mitigations have been proposed to be incorporated in the risk management in the area.