THE CONCEPT OF

VULNERABILITY
 VULNERABILITY
• A SET OF PREVAILING CONSEQUENTIAL CONDITIONS WHICH
ADVERSELY AFFECTS THE COMMUNITY’S ABILITY TO
PREVENT, MITIGATE, PREPARE FOR AND RESPOND TO
HAZARDOUS EVENTS.
• THIS LONG TERM FACTORS AFFECT A HOUSEHOLD OR
COMMUNITIES ABILITY TO ABSORB LOSSESS AFTER
DISASTER AND TO RECOVER FROM DAMAGE.
• VULNERABILITY IS PRESENT IN THE COMMUNITY OR
SOCIETY EVEN BEFORE A DISASTER HAPPENS. IT
PRECEEDS DISASTER, CONTRIBUTES TO ITS SEVERITY,
IMPEDES DISASTER RESPONSE AND MAY CONTINUE TO
EXIST LONG AFTER A DISASTER HAS STRUCK.
WHO ARE THE MOST
VULNERABLE SECTORS?
• COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHOSE CAPACITIES ARE LOW
AND NOT SUFFICIENT TO WITHSTAND AND OVERCOME
THE DAMAGING AND ADVERSE EFFECTS OF DISASTERS.
• THEY ARE COMPOSED OF FARMERS, THE URBAN POOR,
LABORERS, INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, PERSON WITH
DISABILITIES, WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
• THEY ARE THE ABUSED SECTOR AND AT THE LOWEST
LEVELS OF THE SOCIETY.
WHO ARE THE LESS
VULNERABLE SECTORS?
• COMMUNITY MEMEBERS WHOSE CAPACITIES START FROM
THEIR OWN ABILITY TO ACQUIRE MATERIAL RESOURCES, SKILLS
AND TRAININGS AND POSITION IN THE COMMUNITY.
• THEIR CAPACITIES ARE HIGHER THAN THOSE VULNERABLE
SECTORS TO OVERCOME THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF
DISASTERS.
• THEY ARE COMPOSED OF PROFESSIONALS, SMALL
ENTREPRENEURS, AND OTHERS SIMILAR TO THOSE WHO
BELONG TO THE HIGHER LEVELS OF SOCIETY.
• THEIR ROLE IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES IS TO
EXTEND ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT TO VULNERABLE SECTORS.
WHO ARE THE NOT
VULNERABLE SECTORS?
• THEY ARE SECTORS IN SOCIETY HAVING HIGH
POSITION IN THE COMMUNITY.
• MOST OF THE TIME THEY ARE THE TARGETS OF
THE VULNERABLE AND LESS VULNERABLE
SECTORS IN ADVOCACY WORK RELATING
DISASTER ISSUE TO THE STRUCTURE AND
POLICIES IMPLEMENTED BY THE GOVERNMENT
THAT ARE THE ROOT CAUSES OF THE
VULNERABILITY OF THE COMMUNITY.
CATEGORIES OF VULNERABILITIES
• PHYSICAL/MATERIAL VULNERABILITY - POOR PEOPLE WHO
HAVE FEW PHYSICAL AND MATERIAL RESOURCES SUFFER
MORE FROM DISASTERS THAN RICH PEOPLE.
• POOR PEOPLE OFTEN LIVE ON MARGINAL LANDS THEY DO
NOT HAVE ANY SAVINGS OR INSURANCE, THEY ARE POOR
IN HEALTH.
• THEIR PHYSICAL AND MATERIAL RESOURCES ARE
MISERABLE.
• THESE FACTORS MAKE THEM MORE VULNERABLE TO
DISASTERS MEANING THEY HAVE DIFFICULTY SURVIVING
ND RECOVERING FROM A CALAMITY THAT PEOPLE WHO
ARE BETTER ECONOMICALLY.
• LOCATION AND TYPE OF HOUSING/BUILDING MATERIALS
• LAND, WATER, ANIMALS, CAPITAL, OTHER MEANS OF
PRODUCTION
• INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES: ROADS, HEALTH
FACILITIES, SCHOOLS, ELECTRICITY, COMMUNICATIONS,
TRANSPORT, HOUSING
• HUMAN CAPITAL: POPULATION, MORTALITY, DISEASES,
NUTRITIONAL STATUS, LITERACY, NUMERACY, POVERTY
LEVELS
• ENVIRONMENT FACTORS: FORESTATION, SOIL QUALITY,
EROSION
• SOCIAL/ ORGANIZATIONAL VULNERABILITY -PEOPLE
WHO HAVE BEEN MARGINALIZED IN SOCIAL,
ECONOMIC OR POLITICAL TERMS ARE VULNERABLE
TO SUFFERING FROM DISASTERS, WHEREAS
GROUPS THAT ARE WELL ORGANIZED AND HAVE A
HIGH COMMITMENT TO THEIR MEMBERS SUFFER
LESS DURING DISASTERS.
• WEAKNESS IN SOCIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL
AREAS MAY ALSO CAUSE DISASTERS. EX: DEEP
DIVISIONS MAY LEAD TO CONFLICT AND WARS.
CONFLICT OVER RESOURCES DUE TO POVERTY
CAN ALSO LEAD TO VIOLENCE.
• FAMILY STRUCTURE (WEAK/STRONG)
• LEADERSHIP QUALITIES AND STRUCTURES
• LEGISLATION
• ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURES AND INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS
• DECISION MAKING STRUCTURES
• PARTICIPATION LEVELS
• DIVISION AND CONFLICTS : ETHNIC, CLASS, RELIGION, POLITICAL
GROUPS
• DEGREE OF JUSTICE, EQUALITY
• COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS: FORMAL, INFORMAL, TRADITIONAL,
GOVERNMENTAL, PROGRESSIVE
• RELATIONSHIP TO GOVERNMENT, ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURES
• ISOLATION OR CONNECTEDNESS
• ATTITUDINAL / MOTIVATIONAL
VULNERABILITY - PEOPLE WHO HAVE
LOW CONFIDENCE IN THEIR ABILITY TO
AFFECT CHANGE OR WHO HAVE ‘LOST
HEART’ AND FEEL DEFEATED BY EVENTS
THEY CANNOT CONTROL, ARE HARDER
HIT BY DISASTERS THAT THOSE WHO
HAVE A SENSE OF THEIR ABILITY TO
BRING THE CHANGES THEY DESIRE
• ATTITUDE TOWARDS CHANGE
• SENSE OF ABILITY TO AFFECT THEIR WORLD,
ENVIRONMENT, GET THINGS DONE
• INITIATIVE
• FAITH, DETERMINATION, FIGHTING SPIRIT
• RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, IDEOLOGY
• FATALISM, HOPELESSNESS, DISCOURAGEMENT
• DEPENDENT/INDEPENDENT
• CONCIOUSNESS/AWARENESS
• COHESIVENESS, UNITY, SOLIDARITY, COOPERATION
• ORIENTATION TOWARDS THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
THE CONCEPT OF
CAPACITY
CAPACITY
• ALL THE STRENGTHS ATTRIBUTES AND
RESOURCES AVAILABLE WITHIN A COMMUNITY ,
ORGANIZATION OR SOCIETY THAT CAN BE USED
TO ACHIEVE AN AGREED GOAL.. THESE
QUALITIES GIVES SPACE TO CITIZENS AND
COMMUNITIES TO COPE WITH, OVERCOME THE
ADVERSE EFFECTS OF, AND REDUCE THE RISK
OF DISASTER THROUGH PREPARATION,
MITIGATION AND RECOVERY.
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
• THE PROCESS THROUGH WHICH INDIVIDUALS,
ORGNIZATIONS AND SOCIETIES OBTAIN,
STRENGTHEN AND MAINTAIN THE CAPABILITIES
TO SET AND ACHIEVE THEIR OWN
DEVELOPMENTACTIVITIES OVERTIME.
 COPING CAPACITY
• THE ABILITY OF PEOPLE , ORGANIZATIONS AND
SYSTEMS, USING VAILABLE SKILLSAND RESOURCES
TO FACE AND MANAGE ADVERSE CONDITION,
EMERGENCIES OR DISASTER.. THE ABILITY TO COPE
ENTAILSSUSTAINED SITUATION ASSESSMENT,
AWARENESS BUILDING AND RESOURCE
MOBILIZATION AND MANAGEMENT.. THE
COMMUNITIES LEVEL OF COPING MECHANISMAND
READINESS DETERMINETHE BREADTH AND DEPTH
OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION.
 EXAMPLES OF CAPACITY:
• OWNERSHIP OF LAND AND SAFE LOCATION AND
CONSTRUCTION OF HOME
• ADEQUATE INCOME
• SAVINGS
• ADEQUATE FOOD SOURCES
• LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
• FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT IN TIMES OF CRISES
• RESPONSIVE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
• ENABLING LEGISLATION
• STRONG COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
• COMMUNITY MEMBERS , GROUPS ,
FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS HAVE
DIFFERENT VULNERABILITIES AND
CAPACITIES, THESE ARE
DETERMINED BY AGE, GENDER,
CLASS, SOCIAL CLASS, ETHNICITY,
LANGUAGE, RELIGION AND
PHYSICAL LOCATION..
CAPACITY ASSESSMENT
• PROCESS WHEREBY PEOPLE IDENTIFY RESOURCES THEY
RELY ON IN TIMES OF CRISIS TO REDUCE THE DAMAGING
EFFECTS OF HAZARDS AND TO SECURE THE
SUSTAINABILITY OF THEIR LIVELIHOOD. IT AIMS TO:
1. UNDERSTAND PEOPLES PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES
WITH HAZARDS THAT ENABLED THEM TO DEVELOP
COPING STRATEGIES
2. LOOK INTO AVAILABLE RESOURCES (MATERIAL,
ORGANIZATIONAL AND ATTITUDINAL) THAT THE
COMMUNITY USES TO PREPARE FOR AND TO MITIGATE THE
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF DISASTER.