Vulnerability is the inability to resist a hazard or to respond when a disaster has occurred. It refers to the likelihood that a disaster may cause harm to people or structures. Vulnerability also refers to the characteristics determined by social, economic, and environmental factors that increase susceptibility to the effects of hazards.
Examples of Vulnerabilities:
1. Inadequate asset protection.
2. Bad building design and construction.
3. Lack of public awareness and information.
4. Limited official identification of hazards and preparation actions.
5. Disregard prudent environmental management.
Factors affecting the vulnerability of one’s community:
Population density near a hazard event - The greater the population density in a given area, the higher the risk. A hazard that occurs in a sparsely populated area has a lower impact than a hazard that occurs in a densely populated area.
Capacity and efficiency to reduce disaster risk - Capacity refers to all of the strengths, attributes, and resources available within a community, organization, or society to manage and reduce disaster risks and strengthen resilience. Capacity requires ongoing awareness, resources, and good management, both during normal times and during disasters or adverse conditions.
Social Diversity - The social and economic characteristics of a group may limit its members' ability to protect themselves from harm, but social group culture is also important. For example, one important reason why Latinos may be more vulnerable to disasters in the United States may be related to their language abilities. Disaster warnings, which are typically issued in English, may be misunderstood or not understood at all by Spanish-speaking individuals.
Vulnerabilities of different elements are determined due to their exposure to particular hazards.
Physical Vulnerability - Physical vulnerability describes the ability of the built environment to withstand impacts, including homes, roads, bridges, hospitals, schools, and government buildings. Physical vulnerability can be determined by factors such as population density levels, remoteness of a settlement, the site, design, and materials used for critical infrastructure and housing. Wooden houses, for example, are less likely to collapse in an earthquake but are more vulnerable to fire.
Social vulnerability - Social vulnerability refers to the socioeconomic and demographic factors that influence community resilience to the adverse effects of natural hazards, such as disproportionate death, injury, loss, or disruption of livelihood. A variety of factors, such as poverty, lack of access to transportation, and overcrowding, can undermine a community's ability to prevent human suffering and financial loss in the event of a disaster.
Economic Vulnerability - Economic vulnerability refers to the risks posed by external/exogenous shocks to the production, distribution, and consumption systems. The economic vulnerability of a community can be assessed by determining how diverse its sources of income are, the ease of access and control over means of production (e.g. farmland, livestock, irrigation, capital, etc.), the adequacy of economic fallback mechanisms, and the availability of natural resources in the area. Poorer families, for example, may choose to live in squatter settlements because they cannot afford to live in safer (more expensive) areas.
Environmental Vulnerability - Environmental vulnerability is defined as a function of exposure to the environment, sensitivity to it, and adaptive capacity and the potential environmental effects of events (flora, fauna, ecosystems, biodiversity). Examples include land degradation, deforestation, desertification, wildfires, biodiversity loss, land, water, and air pollution, climate change, sea level rise, and ozone depletion.
Quantifying Vulnerability
Reasons why the Philippines has high vulnerability
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It lies in the Pacific typhoon belt and we are visited by an average of 20 typhoons every year.
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The rugged nature of the landscape makes it vulnerable to landslides, mudflows, and other disasters.
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It is an archipelagic country with many small islands where some areas are below sea level.
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It has the longest shoreline in the world at 32,400 km making it vulnerable to storm surges.
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It is still a primarily agricultural and fishing economy.
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With poor institutional and social capacity to manage, respond, and recover from natural hazard events.
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With a high level of poverty
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Aside from typhoons, it is also at risk of volcanic eruptions, quakes, and floods.