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In the framework of assessment policies aimed at reducing the vulnerability of risks’ subjected territories, the concept of representation is an essential component for understanding the population's attitude towards risks. This representation is influenced by socio-spatial factors. Thus, this study examines the representations of the risk of flooding by the sea in the coastal commune of Port-Gentil, the economic capital of Gabon. To this end, a geo-localised questionnaire survey was conducted among 771 heads of household in their homes. In this study we sought to examine how the inhabitants of Port-Gentil represent the risk of flooding by the sea, as well as the socio-spatial factors influencing this representation in this African city with multiple risks. The results of the study show that (1) the risk of flooding from the sea does not seem to be the main concern of the inhabitants; (2) the representation of the feeling of exposure to the main declared risks is significantly influenced by residential factors such as the time spent in the commune, whether they own a dwelling or not and the standing of the dwelling; (3) spatially, the location of the household is a determining factor in the representation of the risks. Our results suggest that the representations of inhabitants must be taken into account in the implementation of risk management policies in Port-Gentil. They allow us to direct the discourse towards populations that tend to ignore their exposure to risks, particularly to risks that are not very obvious, such as flooding from the sea.

The inhabitants of the city of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, suffer significant damage every year due to floods, which constitute a major risk for the country. To mitigate the impact of these phenomena, a good understanding of the criteria involved in the vulnerability of populations is necessary. This article sets out to analyse the populations of Ouagadougou’s vulnerability to floods, with the objective of drawing up and spatially representing the social vulnerability profile of populations. It is part of phase 2 of the Raincell Africa project, which aims to understand the social vulnerability of Sahelian populations to the risks of urban flooding. The study is based on a quantitative approach developed by means of a socio-demographic survey of 2137 households in the city of Ouagadougou. Statistical processing of the survey data using factor analysis and Hierarchical Agglomerative Clustering revealed eight vulnerability profiles in the city. The spatial distribution of these profiles indicates greater vulnerability in the margins of the city, characterized by unplanned settlements. This high exposure of informal settlements to flooding is linked to socio-demographic characteristics such as the level of education, risky behaviours in terms of urbanization and the populations’ false perception of danger. These elements must necessarily be taken into account for better flood management.

After the bursting of the housing bubble in Spain seems that part of the real estate sector and its agents has joined those who criticized the model of indefinite growth to establish that protagonist of the new cycle should be intervention in the consolidated city. This article discusses the changes that have occurred in recent years and some of the key issues that should guide these interventions. We think that there is no universal solution to address the problems and needs of our neighbourhoods, and that public funding will be needed in much of urban areas in need of intervention.

Studies on urban spaces require detailed information with a high quality. This has a cost that limits its availability in less developed countries and makes researchers dependent on existing resources. Whatever the considered problem, the question of sources is essential.With the development and democratization of GIS and satellite imagery, a large amount of information from increasingly diversified sources becomes available. The civilian satellites flying over the planet in the 1960s-70s, enabled the detection and mapping of different ecosystems. In this study, we plan to explore the Dakar metropolitan area. As a big African metropolis Dakar has a good-quality census coverage, which has recently been spatialized. We also have recent satellite images complementing this equipment. If a study on the crossing of census data with satellite information is not a very original approach, its application to the metropolitan area of Dakar will specifically investigate the sub-space urban areas of the city. There will therefore be an interest to establish links between social attributes (by census data), landscapes in these areas, and their occupation of the land (environmental variables extracted from satellite imagery). These preliminary results, presented here, will be the cornerstone of a study of urban malaria, which questions the interactions between the space of the vector, Anopheles, and that of the host, the human being. However, the spatial distribution of the vector is closely related to socio-economic attributes of populations. In other words, we wish initially to assess the relevance of these two sources in order to approach the wealth inequalities of the population of Dakar. This concept is defined synthetically by the lack of material resources of the inhabitants, which places them in a precarious and unstable situation when they are subjected to an external threat (eg floods, diseases, ...) This work will also inform us on the geography of the city of Dakar, at a fine or even very fine scale.

Vulnerability in an urban background is generally considered through population indicators, such as the level of poverty, the level of education, etc. Nonetheless, these represent but one aspect of urban vulnerability. Seeking to evaluate the vulnerability of elements considered essential to the operating of the city allows us to complete the approach and to reveal other facets of vulnerability that are frequently overlooked. By looking at the vulnerability of water provision in the agglomeration of La Paz, the analysis emphasises the weaknesses of this element that is essential to urban functioning. It also points out how this vulnerability can be transmitted to other essential elements which need water to operate (health centres, inhabitants, etc.) and so can provoke crises. The analysis of vulnerability makes it possible to highlight the points of the system provision that must be improved in a perspective of preventative planning.

The links between heritage and vulnerabilities are complex. We start by showing that vulnerability can involve strategies of heritage development and conversely. Our observations will then deal with the multidimensional factors of vulnerability. Great poverty is still a reality in African cities; town dwellers will hence favor survival strategies. At a time where heritage is used as a tool for economic growth, its issue becomes a stake of great importance and occasionally a source of conflicts. The resilience seems to have a moderating influence on vulnerabilities. Examples are taken in world's heritage African cities with case studies in Mali and Ethiopia.

The territorial vulnerability analysis aims to identify, characterize and prioritize areas from which vulnerability is generated and disseminated in a territory. Risk prevention should give priority to these areas because they can disrupt, jeopardize or interrupt the functioning and development of the territory. The approach was developed under the research program entitled "Information System and Risks in the Metropolitan District of Quito”. The article aims to explain this approach, based on the identification of strategic areas of the territory and the analysis of their vulnerability, and the methodology leading to the cartography of Quito’s territorial vulnerability.