Community-based social vulnerability index in Australia

Project Details

This online platform provides an interactive national map based on social vulnerability indicators linked to the health impact of climate change and showcases social vulnerabilities and capacities at the community level across domains of demographics, socioeconomics, language and literacy, natural and built environment, access to services and infrastructure, existing health conditions, social connection, housing precarity, livelihood and occupation, and remoteness.

The indicators are extracted based on social vulnerability sources identified in “Mapping social vulnerability indicators to understand the health impacts of climate change: a scoping review, The Lancet Planetary Health, 7(11), e925-e937”.

A discussion of the index can be found: https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/we-aren-t-all-equal-when-it-comes-to-climate-vulnerability.

The development of this tool received funding support from the Commonwealth Climate Resilience Network Grant. Enquiries can be directed to the project lead Dr Ang Li (ang.li5@unimelb.edu.au).

Publications

Li, A., Toll, M., & Bentley, R. (2023). Mapping social vulnerability indicators to understand the health impacts of climate change: a scoping review. Lancet Planet Health, 7(11), e925-e937. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(23)00216-4  

Li, A., Toll, M., & Bentley, R. (2024, Feb 22). We aren't all equal when it comes to climate vulnerability. Pursuit. https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/we-aren-t-all-equal-when-it-comes-to-climate-vulnerability

Li, A., Toll, M., Martino, E., Gibbs, L., McNicol, E., Mason, K., & Bentley, R. (2025). Social vulnerability to health impacts of climate change in Australia: understanding dimensions, drivers, and health inequality. medRxiv, 2025-07. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.07.03.2533073

Contact

Dr Ang Li
ang.li5@unimelb.edu.au