| Publication |
2008.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Catastrophic events resulting from natural and anthropogenic causes have exacted an enormous toll on small island developing states (SIDS) for many centuries. Several studies have provided useful insights into the identification of vulnerabilities as a means of reducing exposure and preparing for incidents, as well as to help manage the impact of these unavoidable disastrous events. However, the vulnerability hypothesis has largely concentrated on the exposure of countries to hazards that are caused by economic, social, and environmental conditions. In this article, we extend the analysis to incorporate, the deployment of information and communication technologies (ICT) in SIDS, the vulnerabilities associated with these ICT, and the impact they could have and, indeed, are having on other types of vulnerabilities. Firstly, we use Briguglio's (1997) normalization procedure to construct vulnerability indices for the three main tenets of vulnerability faced by SIDS; secondly, we formulate an ICT-specific vulnerability index (VI) through the identification of underlying factors that make up the sub-components of this intermediate composite index. Thirdly, elucidating the methodology of Krajnc and Glavi (2005), we propose to merge the measurements of the two intermediate composite indices (the Societal VI and the ICT-specific VI) to produce a mega-composite ICT resilience index. Finally, in this conceptual article, we assess how the factors that contribute to ICT vulnerability could possibly be used to prescribe an ameliorative resilience regime that may assist in bolstering disaster preparedness in SIDS and, simultaneously, increase their ability to compete globally
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