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A comparative analysis of several vulnerability concepts

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Abstract

A comparative analysis of six vulnerability models aims to identify differences and similarities between several approaches towards understanding vulnerability. The analysis yields a set of characteristics for explaining the condition of vulnerability (multiple contexts, multiple dimensions, temporal variability, multiple scales and scale-interdependency). In addition, ‘adaptation’ and ‘adaptive capacity’ are identified as key elements of vulnerability. The results of the analysis are put into a wider context not only of vulnerability but also of resilience and risk research. It is demonstrated that ‘adaptation’ and ‘adaptive capacity’ serve as hinges not only for conceptualising vulnerability but between ‘vulnerability’ and ‘resilience’ alike. Based on the results of the comparative analysis, a model of vulnerability focussing on the household and community scale is developed, which displays the key findings of this work.

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Notes

  1. http://www.unisdr.org/eng/library/lib-terminology-eng%20home.htm, accessed 21.02.2011.

  2. Tendencies prevail to a certain extent, see A and B in Table 1.

  3. The term ‘capability’ is used interchangeably with ‘capacity’, see e.g. ISDR http://www.unisdr.org/eng/library/lib-terminology-eng%20home.htm, accessed 21.02.2011.

  4. The focus is usually on the characteristics of the hazard (i.e. frequency–magnitude), of the characteristics of the built environment and on the probability of a person being harmed, which mainly depends on where and when for instance a landslide occurs, and where the 'element at risk' is located at that moment (see for instance Ragozin and Tikhvinsky 2000).

  5. http://www.unisdr.org/eng/library/lib-terminology-eng%20home.htm, accessed 21.02.2011.

  6. A 'community' can be defined as a group of people who have something in common: a locality and/or a specific interest. Within a community defined by its locality, different interest groups can form different communities (‘mosaic’ of communities). The term ‘community’ also implies some sense of belonging and commitment (‘building’ a community) (Marsh and Buckle 2001).

  7. An example for operationalising the conceptual work presented in this work is given in Hufschmidt (2009).

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Professor Mike Crozier who supported this work as a mentor and supervisor. The author also expresses her thanks to the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, DAAD) and Victoria University of Wellington for supplying funding for this research. Finally, the author’s greatest appreciation goes to the reviewers for their willingness to thoroughly evaluate and improve this work.

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  1. Department of Geography, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

    Gabi Hufschmidt

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  1. Gabi Hufschmidt
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Correspondence to Gabi Hufschmidt.

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Hufschmidt, G. A comparative analysis of several vulnerability concepts. Nat Hazards 58, 621–643 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-011-9823-7

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