Vulnerability

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Vulnerability and Global Change
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Vulnerability

• Defencelessness, insecurity (internal
  vulnerability) exposure to risk, shock (external
  vulnerability) (Chambers, 1989).
• The characteristics of a person or group in terms
  of their capacity to anticipate, cope with,
  resist and recover from impacts of a hazard
  (Blaikie et al).
• Production, consumption, assets and claims
  (entitlement theory) (Swift, 1989).
• Vulnerability is multi-layered and
  multidimensional social space defined by the
  determinate political, economic and institutional
  capabilities of people in specific places at
  specific times (Watts and Bohle, 1993).
• Vulnerability and capacity/resilience protection
  of ones livelihood (Anderson and Woodrow, 1989).

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New Research Issues (National Academy of
Sciences, 1999)

• Understanding sensitivity and vulnerability to
  environmental variations and changes.
• Human consequences of environmental change depend
  on the sensitivity and vulnerability of social
  systems and on their ability to adapt to
  environmental change.

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Theories Underpinning Vulnerability Research
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Vulnerability linked to livelihoods
ASSETS / ENTITLEMENTS
Tangible and Intangible e.g. Labour, human
capital, productive assets.
Food entitlements e.g. food household can obtain
(Sen, 1989)
Extent to which people can adapt linked to assets
at their disposal.
FORM basis of hhlds entitlements
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Analysis of hunger and famine based on
entitlements must account for

• The particular distribution of entitlements and
  how these are reproduced
• The larger canvas of rights by which entitlements
  are fought over, contested (empowerment)
• Structural properties crisis proneness for the
  political economy which precipitates entitlement
  crisis
• (Watts and Bohle, 1993)

Totality of processes define a space/social map
of vulnerability
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Multiple CausalityMapping a space of
vulnerability
Space of Vulnerability
Economic Capability
A Vulnerability by lack of POTENTIALITY
A
Command over food
Totality of rights
B Vulnerability by EXPOSURE
EMPOWERMENT
(endow-ments)
ENTITLEMENT
(enfranchise-ments
C Vulnerability by lack of CAPACITY
B
C
Class based patterns of social reproduction
(surplus production)
Property relations
Class Power
(Watts and Bohle, 1993)
POLITICAL ECONOMY
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The 1949 Malawi Famine
Women, very old, very young
Urban workers, employees tobacco industry
Artisans, informal traders
Famine situation
Self-employed, tobacco farmers, maize traders
Casual labourers
Low vulnerability
Medium vulnerability
High vulnerability
Pre-famine situation
Watts and Bohle, 1993
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Double Structure of Vulnerability (After Bohle,
2001)
Human Ecological Perspectives
Entitlement Theory
The external side of vulnerability
EXPOSURE
Political Economy Approaches
THE DOUBLE STRUCTURE OF VULNERABILITY
Crisis and Conflict Theory
COPING
The internal side of vulnerability
Models of Access to Assets
Action Theory Approaches
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Resilience/Resistance/Persistence

• Ability to withstand a shock/perturbation
• Coping /adaptive capacity

Recovery from Negative effects
Diversification
Human and Financial Resources
Exploiting Opportunities
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Measuring Vulnerability

• Social Scientists
• Disaster Managers
• Humanitarian Practitioners
• Climate Change Scientists

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Social Scientists
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Socioeconomic matrix of vulnerability (Downing,
1995)
GLOBAL CONTEXT GLOBAL CONTEXT
Markets Demand for natural resources Foreign investment International agreements and cooperation Inter-regional cooperation Technology transfer Trade agreements International aid policies Development lending Structural adjustment Environmental conditionality
NATIONAL CONTEXT NATIONAL CONTEXT
Markets Transportation Prices Financial markets Policy Roads and infrastructure Price supports and subsidies Extension services
REGIONAL/LOCAL CONTEXT REGIONAL/LOCAL CONTEXT
Settlement patterns Localized population pressures Resource distribution Interest groups Conflicts over resources Coalition and alliances
HOUSEHOLD/COMMUNITY CONTEXT HOUSEHOLD/COMMUNITY CONTEXT
Gender relations Division of labour and resource access control Family size and composition Control over fertility Family/community strategies Access to resources Income sources and employment Temporary migration
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Sustainable rural livelihoodsFramework
(Chambers and Conway, 1992 Carney, 1998)
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Disaster Managers
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Schematic Outline of Vulnerability
Exposure to Hazards and Threats
LACK OF RESOURCES Income Assets Social Support
Etc
LACK OF ACCESS Health Services Credit Information
Etc
Increased Vulnerability
Reduced Capacity to Cope and Recover
(After Wisner, 1993)
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Traditional Approaches to Disaster Management
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Expand Contract Process
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Humanitarian Practitioners
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Some approaches to vulnerability assessment
Income estimation Incomes are estimates at various levels to determine if sufficient income was generated to purchase food. Large secondary data sets required.
Household modelling Household food economy surveys done (how families obtain food and cash income for any given year) and how remittances contribute to family cash income. Areas/groups are identified that are vulnerable to acute hunger
Indicator approach Subjective and objective indicators that are assumed to cover various aspects of vulnerability in a given area. Provides a relative measure of vulnerability in a given area. Provides a relative measure of vulnerability usually to at least the 3rd administrative level.
Domestic Resource Capacity Approach Direct measure of vulnerability. Measure of capacity as well as vulnerability (coping in terms of incomes and assets)