Vulnerability is not simply about poverty, but extensive research over the past 30 years has revealed that it is generally the poor who tend to suffer worst from disasters (Twigg, 2004; Wisner et al., 2004; UNISDR, 2009b).
There are four (4) main types of vulnerability:
Physical factors
1. Physical Vulnerability may be determined by aspects such as population density levels, remoteness of a settlement, the site, design and materials used for critical infrastructure and for housing (UNISDR).
e.g. poor design and construction of buildings, unregulated land use planning, etc.
Social factors
2. Social Vulnerability refers to the inability of people, organizations and societies to withstand adverse impacts to hazards due to characteristics inherent in social interactions, institutions and systems of cultural values. It is linked to the level of well being of individuals, communities and society. It includes aspects related to levels of literacy and education, the existence of peace and security, access to basic human rights, systems of good governance, social equity, positive traditional values, customs and ideological beliefs and overall collective organizational systems (UNISDR).
e.g. poverty and inequality, marginalisation, social exclusion and discrimination by gender, social status, disability and age (amongst other factors) psychological factors, etc.
Economic factors
3. Economic Vulnerability. The level of vulnerability is highly dependent upon the economic status of individuals, communities and nations The poor are usually more vulnerable to disasters because they lack the resources to build sturdy structures and put other engineering measures in place to protect themselves from being negatively impacted by disasters.
e.g. the uninsured informal sector, vulnerable rural livelihoods, dependence on single industries, globalisation of business and supply chains, etc.
Environmental factors
4. Environmental Vulnerability. Natural resource depletion and resource degradation are key aspects of environmental vulnerability.
e.g. poor environmental management, overconsumption of natural resources, decline of risk regulating ecosystem services, climate change, etc.
How do we reduce vulnerability?
Since we cannot reduce the occurrence and severity of natural hazards, reducing vulnerability is one of the main opportunities for reducing disaster risk. Vulnerability changes over time because many of the processes that influence vulnerability are dynamic, including rapid urbanisation, environmental degradation, market conditions and demographic change (DFID, 2004).
Approaches to vulnerability reduction include:
- Implementing building codes
- Insurance and social protection (risk )
- Emphasising economic diversity and resilient livelihoods
- Knowledge and awareness raising
- Preparedness measures
carmelaochea 