Tom Owton

I attempt to develop new methods of mapping natural hazard social vulnerability in developing countries. Where “social vulnerability” refers to the well-established phenomenon that people of certain social groups are more negatively affected by natural hazards. With regards to informal settlements official statistics such as census data are typically lacking and surveys are expensive and difficult to collect. As a result, my research attempts to use sources of data from in particular remote sensing to map social vulnerability, such as brightness at night and information derived from visible light satellite imagery.