Social vulnerability analysis at municipal level: Case study of the province of Chlef, Algeria

Abstract

This paper explores the empirical assessment of social vulnerability in the Algerian context using the Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI). The SoVI is applied at the municipal level in the province of Chlef. The assessment aims to map the geographical variability of social vulnerability for the 35 municipalities of the study area. While following the original SoVI methodology, some adjustments were made to the variables to adapt them to the context. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed on a set of 40 selected variables resulting in six vulnerability factors. After as-signing a sign (negative, positive, or absolute) to each factor, they were summed to calculate the overall SoVI score. The resulting maps highlight the most vulnerable municipalities in the province, and their interpretation was aided by geographical maps depicting the natural and human characteristics of the territory.