QUANTIFYING COMMUNITY VULNERABILITY TO NATURAL HAZARDS AND HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL HAZARDS: APPLICATION OF THE SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX IN KAJANG AREA

The increasing phenomenon of landslide events in Malaysia, especially in urbanised areas has led to studies aiming to identify vulnerability factors to understand the weaknesses of communities when exposed to disasters. Hence, this study seeks to develop a Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI) for the Kajang community and identify the most prominent factor influencing community vulnerability. Therefore, 17 variables are identified as characterising social vulnerability, which is then applied to evaluate the assessment used in this study. The study uses a quantitative method in the form of a questionnaire to collect data while secondary data is used to determine the 17 variables used in the SoVI. 200 respondents living around the Kajang area were interviewed and analysis was executed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results indicate that the Kajang Mewah hilly area is more vulnerable than the Kajang Utama hilly area. Consequently, the factors identified through PCA are household income, the environment of the housing area, household health, and housing composition. Overall, the study contributes to the deficient field of vulnerability studies in Malaysia. Furthermore, this study can help identify the vulnerability circumstances of communities in Kajang and contribute information and knowledge regarding disaster management in Malaysia.