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Factors Affecting Vulnerability
Factors Affecting Vulnerability
Physical, economic, social and political factors determine people’s level of vulnerability and the extent of their
capacity to resist, cope with and recover from hazards. Clearly, poverty is a major contributor to vulnerability.
Poor people are more likely to live and work in areas exposed to potential hazards, while they are less likely to
have the resources to cope when a disaster strikes.
In richer countries, people usually have a greater capacity to resist the impact of a hazard. They tend to be
better protected from hazards and have preparedness systems in place. Secure livelihoods and higher incomes
increase resilience and enable people to recover more quickly from a hazard.
Disasters jeopardize development gains. Equally, development choices made by individuals, households,
communities and governments increase or reduce the risk of disasters.
Examples of potentially vulnerable groups include:
• displaced populations who leave their habitual residence in collectives, usually due to a sudden impact
disaster, such as an earthquake or a flood, threat or conflict, as a coping mechanism and with the intent
to return;
• migrants who leave or flee their habitual residence to go to new places, usually abroad to seek better
and safer perspectives;
• returnees – former migrants or displaced people returning to their homes;
• specific groups within the local population, such as marginalized, excluded or destitute people;
• young children, pregnant and nursing women, unaccompanied children, widows, elderly people without
family support, disabled persons.
In a disaster, women in general may be affected differently from men because of their social status, family
responsibilities or reproductive role, but they are not necessarily vulnerable. They are also resourceful and
resilient in a crisis and play a crucial role in recovery. Gender analysis can help to identify those women or
girls who may be vulnerable and in what way.
A Disaster Occurs When Hazards and Vulnerability Meet
Disasters are caused by the interaction of vulnerability and hazards. There are many
different factors that determine vulnerability. Hazards can also be called 'Trigger
Events'. When one hazard meets with a vulnerable community a disaster is likely to
occur. E.g. Poverty will have people build houses with weaker materials and in more
dangerous areas. A landslide will cause a disaster for these poor people because the
house will not have the CAPACITY to withstand it and it will collapse. People will die,
and even if they survive they may not have the CAPACITY to build again.
DISASTER
Technological accident
environment degradation
Factors of Vulnerability
Underlying causes
• Poverty
• Limited access to - power structures
- resources
- information
• Ideologies
• Economic systems
• Age sex
• Illness & disabilities
Dynamic pressures
• Lack of - local institutions
- education
- training
- appropriate skills
- local investments
- local markets
- services
- freedom of information
• Macro-forces: - population expansion
- urbanisation
- environment degradation
Underlying causes
• Fragile physical environment - dangerous locations
- dangerous buildings
• Fragile local economy - low levels of income
Vulnerability Indicators
VULNERABILITY INDICATORS
Tangibles Intangibles