Social Vulnerability to Natural Hazards in Namibia: A District-Based Analysis

Southern Africa is one of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable regions with severe barriers to its sustainable development. We strived to understand here the patterns and drivers of social vulnerability to natural hazards in Namibia, which is the most arid sub-Saharan country with large social inequalities. We used a total of 12 indicators that characterized social, economic and demographic settings of the 14 districts in the country. Further, we evaluated the countrywide pattern of most relevant natural hazards, including wildfires, floods and drought. We identified the main factors driving social vulnerability in the districts, and we evaluated how the socio-economic fitness of populations coincided with the distribution of high-hazard areas. We found that populations with the poorest socio-economic performance were mostly distributed in the country’s northern districts, which are also exposed to the highest frequency and severity of natural hazards, particularly to floods and wildfires. This coincidence of highly sensitive populations with high exposure to hazards renders these populations particularly vulnerable. That the frequency of natural hazards increases with climate change, and implementation of programs enhancing the social resilience is insufficient, underscores the urgency of actions targeted at the priority areas identified herein.