Istanbul, February 1, 2024 - The UNDP ICPSD SDG AI Lab hosted the Digital Social Vulnerability Index (DSVI) White Paper launch event and presented its innovative methodology. The event brought together development professionals, resilience experts, academicians, UN teams, GIS professionals, and the general public.

DSVI is an innovative methodology for Social Vulnerability analysis, developed by the UNDP ICPSD SDG AI Lab with the support of the UNDP Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery for Building Resilience Team (DRT).

The Social Vulnerability assessments provide insights into communities’ resilience to natural disasters, social shocks, and climate change. Traditional vulnerability assessment approaches have major shortcomings relying on costly surveys and manual calculations. DSVI enhanced the whole process of social vulnerability analysis by combining multiple data sources and automating the process with Machine Learning and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). 

DSVI’s in-depth analysis of social vulnerability and its detailed maps support UNDP, governments, and civil society in enhancing their development interventions and programming around the world. For instance, DSVI implementation in the Horn of Africa contributed to the development of long-term projects addressing food security.

Dr. Gülçin Salıngan, UNDP ICPSD Deputy Director highlighted DSVI's innovative approach by stating "DSVI revolutionizes our understanding of social vulnerability spatial patterns employing cutting-edge Machine Learning for enhanced accuracy. 

During the event, participants had a sneak peek into DSVI methodology and explored its real-world applications in disaster risk reduction, resilience building, and policy-making. For a more detailed methodology explanation, please check the full publication available on the UNDP website.  

The launch event served as a platform for exchanging knowledge and fostering collaboration. Additionally, it represented a notable advancement in the widespread adoption and implementation of DSVI across diverse fields. Aligned with the UNDP Digital Strategy, the SDG AI Lab is dedicated to advancing DSVI and expanding its international applications.

DSVI White Paper is now available for download here.