Socio-energetic vulnerability index for households in Ibarlucea, Santa Fe

Abstract

 This article addresses the creation of a multidimensional index of socio-energetic vulnerability for the population of Ibarlucea, Santa Fe, Argentina. This index is developed using data from a local census conducted in 2021 and databases from the Ibarlucea Electric Distribution Cooperative. The main objective is to identify households that are vulnerable in socio-economic and energy terms, which will enable the Cooperative to improve its resource allocation policies. The index is a composite index with linear weighting, developed through the spatial merging of databases conducted in QGIS and R. The dimensions included are health, housing, household composition, education, employment, disability, and social assistance. The results reveal specific issues based on the degree of household vulnerability. At lower levels of vulnerability, issues are more related to income and employment. At higher levels, the problems become more structural, involving health, disability, housing, and household composition. Finally, the distribution of households according to the intensity of vulnerability is presented and related to the distribution of consumption subsidies granted according to the energy segmentation policy.