Proximity as an integral factor in the evaluation of the territorial risk under the European Seveso Directive: Application in Andalusia (South Spain)

In this work, a geostatistical analysis of multivariate character is performed, which is based on the distance between establishments affected by the European Seveso Directive and the type of vulnerable receptors categorized as human, environmental or material. This study reinforces the importance of including the value of proximity, besides others already known and used, such as dangerousness, vulnerability and probability/frequency, in the evaluation of the chemical and environmental risk or simply in the evaluation of territorial compatibility. Data used in the study were a sample taken in the region of Andalusia (Southern Spain) during the year 2013. Likewise, based on the descriptive tables of frequencies, in terms of average proximities, a double ranking of territorial compatibility is provided for the land use and planning (LUP), which affects to establishments, dangerous substances and vulnerable receptors. The multivariate analysis based on the projection on a factorial plane of the correspondences reveals hidden relationships of proximity between vulnerable receptors and their relationship with the territorial strata, in a simple and intuitive way. Results obtained here suggest that the methodology can be extrapolated to any other study area, taking into account their particular environmental conditions.