Vulnerability
Vulnerability is a concept used in psychology, sociology, medicine, environmental science, and disaster studies. In general, it refers to the degree to which a person, group, community, or system is likely to experience harm when exposed to a threat and how capable it is of coping with that harm.
Scientific definitions:
1. The propensity or predisposition to be adversely affected. Vulnerability encompasses sensitivity or susceptibility to harm and lack of capacity to cope and adapt.
2. The degree to which a system is susceptible to, and unable to cope with, adverse effects.
Main characteristics of vulnerability:
1. Susceptibility to harm – the likelihood of being negatively affected by a threat.
2. Limited coping capacity – difficulty responding effectively to challenges or adverse events.
3. Reduced ability to adapt – inability to recover quickly or adjust to changing conditions.
Butterfield R., Taylor R., Taylor A.(2011). Vulnerability definitions. WeAdapt. Retrieved from: https://weadapt.org/knowledge-base/vulnerability/vulnerability-definitions/.
Füssel, H.-M. (2007).Vulnerability: A generally applicable conceptual framework for climate change research. Global Environmental Change, 17(2), p. 155–167. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959378006000525