Understanding Climate Vulnerability
WHAT IS VULNERABILITY?
Vulnerability refers to the tendency or degree to which people or the things they value are susceptible to, or are unable to cope with, (at risk of being exposed to) the adverse impacts of climate change. Vulnerability determines how severe the impacts of climate change might be.
There are three dimensions of vulnerability to climate change — exposure, sensitivity or susceptibility to harm, and the capacity to adapt to or to cope with change (i.e exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity).
Exposure is the degree to which people and the things they value could be exposed to climate variation or change;
Sensitivity is the degree to which they could be harmed by that exposure; and
Adaptive capacity is the degree to which they could mitigate the potential for harm by taking action to reduce exposure or sensitivity.
WHO IS MORE/LESS VULNERABLE?
People or communities may be more or less vulnerable to different climate impacts and the degree depends on social, political, and economic factors. Certain communities are disproportionately disadvantaged by these factors, thus limiting resources and opportunities to cope and adapt. In disadvantaged groups, these factors contribute to increased exposure, increased sensitivity, and reduced adaptive capacity. Vulnerability may increase in locations or cases where combinations of these factor occur simultaneously or close in time. For instance, communities with limited economic resources living in areas with poor infrastructure are more likely to experience disproportionate impacts due to extreme weather events and are less able to recover, increasing their vulnerability to climate-related health effects. Understanding the role of social, political and economic factors can help manage climate change impacts by better identifing interventions or actions to reduce or prevent exposures in populations of concern.
Diving Deeper into Exposure:
Exposure refers to the presence (location) of people, livelihoods, infrastructure, and economic, social, environmental or cultural assets in places that could be adversely affected by events as a result of climate change. For example, drought and flood events due to the changing climate affect crop production leading to food insecurity in certain locations or to certain communities. Another example is that of homes and businesses along low-lying coasts, which are exposed to coastal flooding from storms.
According to U.S Global Research Program, here are the factors that contribute to exposure to climate change:
- Occupation: Certain occupations have a greater risk of exposure to climate impacts. People working outdoors or performing duties that expose them to extreme weather, such as emergency responders, utility repair crews, farm workers, construction workers, and other outdoor laborers, are at particular risk.
- Time spent in risk-prone locations: Where a person lives, goes to school, works, or spends leisure time will contribute to exposure. Locations with greater health threats include urban areas (due to, for example, the “heat island” effect or air quality concerns), areas where airborne allergens and other air pollutants occur at levels that aggravate respiratory illnesses, communities experiencing depleted water supplies or vulnerable energy and transportation infrastructure, coastal and other flood-prone areas, and locations affected by drought and wildfire.
- Responses to extreme events: A person’s ability or, in some cases, their choice whether to evacuate or shelter-in-place in response to an extreme event such as a hurricane, flood, or wildfire affects their exposure to health threats. Low-income populations are generally less likely to evacuate in response to a warning.
- Socioeconomic status: Persons living in poverty are more likely to be exposed to extreme heat and air pollution., Poverty also determines, at least in part, how people perceive the risks to which they are exposed, how they respond to evacuation orders and other emergency warnings, and their ability to evacuate or relocate to a less risk-prone location.
- Infrastructure condition and access: Older buildings may expose occupants to increased indoor air pollutants and mold, stagnant airflow, or high indoor temperatures. Persons preparing for or responding to flooding, wildfires, or other weather-related emergencies may be hampered by disruption to transportation, utilities, medical, or communication infrastructure. Lack of access to these resources, in either urban or rural settings, can increase a person’s vulnerability.
- Compromised mobility, cognitive function, and other mental or behavioral factors: These factors can lead to increased exposure to climate-related health impacts if people are not aware of health threats or are unable to take actions to avoid, limit, or respond to risks. People with access and functional needs may be particularly at risk if these factors interfere with their ability to access or receive medical care before, during, or after a disaster or emergency.
What is Sensitivity? How do we identify it?
The sensitivity of people and communities to climate change stressors is determined to an extent, by biological factors. Overall health status, age, and life stage form the basis of these factors. Every life stage has varying sensitivity to climate change impacts. For instance, generally the immune systems of very young children are still in development, making them more sensitive to aeroallergen exposure (such as airborne pollens). People experiencing long-term chronic medical and/or psychological conditions are more sensitive to climate stressors. People with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are more sensitive to exposures to wildfire smoke and other respiratory irritants. Social and economic factors also affect disparities in the prevalence of chronic medical conditions that aggravate sensitivity.
Developing Adaptive Capacity
Adaptive Capacity refers to the use of all the strengths, attributes, and resources available to an individual, community, society, or organization to mitigate negative impacts of climate change once disaster materializes. Effective capacity building and providing for growth in capacity especially to those communities that are disproportionately affected, requires a clear image of the future with clearly established strategies to manage climate change and its impacts. Factors that contribute to exposure or sensitivity often times also influence the ability of both people and communities to adapt to climate variability. Socioeconomic status, the condition and accessibility of infrastructure, the accessibility of health care, certain demographic characteristics, human and social capital (the skills, knowledge, experience, and social cohesion of a community), and other institutional resources all contribute to the timeliness and effectiveness of adaptive capacity.
Teach your kids about climate change impacts through these fun Brain Pop Activities.
