The DIVA (Dynamic and Interactive Vulnerability Assessment) tool is a modular "discussion-making" tool developed by the EU funded [DINAS-COAST](http://www.dinas-coast.net/) project. The tool is used to facilitate the assessment of vulnerability in coastal areas. It tries to address these drawbacks of similar tools and models:
* Low resolution and obsolete data sources;
* Limited number of scenarios;
* Unable to identify causes of vulnerability except for sea-level rise;
* Not considering social-nature interaction and feedback;
* arbitrary and simplistic assumptions about adaptation.
The main characters of the DIVA tool are:
* Integration of multiple disciplines in the study and simulation of vulnerability issues;
* Modular architecture allows constant update and evolution of the tool, to adapt to changing contexts and adaptation/succession;
* Non-expert friendly interface, designed to help answer questions asked by stakeholder and researchers from a wide range of groups.
Using a relational geospatial information database as its foundation, the DIVA tool can be considered as a set of modules, each addressing a process contributing to the vulnerability of coasts, governed by a framework that describes the conceptualization of the system in question. Only processes that conform to the general conceptualization can be modelled.
The development of the tool is an interesting case study of distributed software engineering. The authors of the modules belong to different institutions all over the Eurasia continent, and collaboration has to be carried out with email, Internet and phone. During development, the developers cannot even tell what the interfaces of the modules would be. To coordinate the efforts, the whole consortium used an ontology (conceptualization) of the system, and stored it as XML in a central location. The ontology then guides developers to establish algorithms and data structures. The module then goes to a stand-alone mode test. Finally, the linkage of the module with others and the whole model are tested.
Judging from the difficulties of developing such a complicated project, the DIVA tool is an exceptional success. However, the modular approach also have its own problems. The most significant one is that one module's underlying theory and implementation are often not concerned by other experts, and the relationships between modules are not always well understood. This perhaps is why the author of [the article](http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2009.03.002) calls the DIVA tool "transdisciplinary" instead of "interdisciplinary".
An important issue in vulnerability studies is [the cross-scale interactions](http://dx.doi.org/10.1191/030913200701540465). The DIVA tool cannot address this issue well, but the authors are pretty sure that the modular structure of the tool allows these features to be easily added. It is natural to consider the possibility to expand the tool to other vulnerability problems, such as desertification or energy dependency, but this may need a new framework. It is also not clear whether the DIVA framework supports modelling of long-range interactions.
The authors do not expect the DIVA tool to answer all vulnerability questions. They call it a "discussion-making" tool instead of a "decision-making" tool. The ability to better incorporate stakeholders in vulnerability study is eagerly needed in all kinds of socio-ecological systems. It would be wonderful to see more DIVA-style tools appear.
Hinkel, J., & Klein, R. (2009). Integrating knowledge to assess coastal vulnerability to sea-level rise: The development of the DIVA tool Global Environmental Change, 19 (3), 384-395 DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2009.03.002
Adger, W. (2000). Social and ecological resilience: are they related? Progress in Human Geography, 24 (3), 347-364 DOI: 10.1191/030913200701540465
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