Vulnerability assessment is essential for understanding and launching effective flood risk reduction strategies. This study aimed to examine the vulnerability of flood-prone rural communities in southern Punjab, Pakistan to external shocks. The concept of vulnerability encompasses a range of dimensions, including physical, social, institutional, environmental, economic, and attitudinal. Using a composite index method, indices were developed for each dimension and combined to create a multidimensional measure of vulnerability. A sample of 365 communities was selected using the Yamane sampling technique, and data were collected through a questionnaire containing 65 indicators across all dimensions. Descriptive statistics and ANOVA tests were used to analyze the data. The results show that communities near the Chenab River had higher attitudinal and institutional vulnerability compared to other communities. High attitudinal vulnerabilities were associated with poorly perceived flood risks and low preparedness measures, whereas institutional vulnerabilities were driven by conventional flood protection strategies, lack of institutional trust, and lack of flood risk awareness. This research provides insights into the various components of vulnerability in flood-prone rural communities in Pakistan and demonstrates a useful methodology that can be applied to other disasters at different spatial scales.

脆弱性评估对于理解和启动有效的洪水风险降低策略至关重要。本研究旨在研究巴基斯坦旁遮普邦南部易受洪水影响的农村社区对外部冲击的脆弱性。脆弱性的概念涵盖一系列维度，包括物质、社会、体制、环境、经济和态度。使用综合指数方法，为每个维度开发指数并将其组合起来以创建脆弱性的多维度量。采用山根抽样技术选取了 365 个社区样本，并通过包含各个维度 65 个指标的调查问卷收集数据。使用描述性统计和方差分析测试来分析数据。结果表明，与其他社区相比，杰纳布河附近的社区具有更高的态度和制度脆弱性。态度上的高度脆弱性与对洪水风险认识不足和防备措施不足有关，而制度上的脆弱性则与传统的防洪策略、缺乏机构信任和缺乏洪水风险意识有关。这项研究深入了解了巴基斯坦易受洪水影响的农村社区脆弱性的各个组成部分，并展示了一种可应用于不同空间尺度的其他灾害的有用方法。