Question

Municipality "X" is adjacent to a river and there is some development in the flood plain, which varies from low-income housing to very expensive homes. When doing a risk assessment on flooding, the community emergency manager used the equation Risk = Hazard Probability x Consequences. Consequences were based upon an economic calculation of how much total economic damage would happen during a flood event. Explain how this process represents ethical thinking using utilitarian and deontological reason, in terms of(i) what is included in the risk calculation, and (ii) what is excluded in the risk calculation?

Answer 1

The process of using the equation Risk = Hazard Probability x Consequences to assess the risk of flooding in municipality X represents ethical thinking by incorporating both utilitarian and deontological reasoning.

Utilitarian reasoning focuses on maximizing the overall well-being of the community, and is represented in the equation by taking into account the economic consequences of a flood event. By calculating the total economic damage that would occur during a flood, the community emergency manager is attempting to minimize the negative impact on the community's well-being.

Deontological reasoning, on the other hand, is based on moral principles and rules, and is represented in the equation by taking into account the hazard probability. By considering the likelihood of a flood occurring, the community emergency manager is acknowledging the moral responsibility to prevent harm to the community.

However, there are some limitations to the equation that may exclude certain factors from the risk calculation. For example, the equation only considers the economic consequences of a flood event, and does not take into account other types of harm, such as loss of life or environmental damage. Additionally, the equation assumes that all members of the community are equally impacted by the flood event, which may not be the case in reality. Therefore, it is important for the community emergency manager to consider these limitations and incorporate other ethical considerations, such as equity and justice, into the risk assessment process.