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Modelling the economic vulnerability of households in the Phang-Nga Province (Thailand) to natural disasters

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Abstract

The 2004 tsunami devastated large areas in the southern part of Thailand. This paper takes a particular look at the circumstances of vulnerability and the process of recovery in the area of Khao Lak and its surrounding villages, which constitute a booming tourist hotspot at the centre of a region that is still dominated by agriculture. A quantitative vulnerability model was developed, integrating a quantitative household survey and remote sensing data. This model describes and specifies the circumstances of vulnerability and the factors leading to a recovery of the area. Indirect effects on the livelihood of households in particular, such as the disruption of infrastructure or the loss of income, show a negative effect on the recovery time. External help received by the households even shows an extending influence on the duration of their recovery period.

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Acknowledgments

The research presented in this paper builds upon the project “Tsunami Risks, Vulnerability and Resilience in the Phang-Nga Province, Thailand” funded by the German Research Foundation. The survey and group interview data used in this research were gathered in close collaboration with Dr. Narumon Arunotai and her team from the Chulalongkorn University Social Research Institute. Remote sensing pictures used to derive information about the location of households were provided by the project partners Prof. Dr. Horst Sterr, Dr. Gunilla Kaiser and Hannes Römer (Institute of Coastal Geography—University of Kiel), and by Prof. Dr. Ralf Ludwig (Department of Geography—Ludwig—Maximilians University Munich). We gratefully acknowledge the constructive feedback from the anonymous reviewers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Economic and Cultural Geography, Leibniz University of Hanover, Schneiderberg 50, 30167, Hannover, Germany

    P. Willroth & J. Revilla Diez

  2. Social Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Rd, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand

    N. Arunotai

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  1. P. Willroth
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  2. J. Revilla Diez
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  3. N. Arunotai
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Correspondence to P. Willroth.

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Willroth, P., Revilla Diez, J. & Arunotai, N. Modelling the economic vulnerability of households in the Phang-Nga Province (Thailand) to natural disasters. Nat Hazards 58, 753–769 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-010-9635-1

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