ABSTRACT
This chapter explores why inequalities that are caused or exacerbated by climate change are important to discussions about both vulnerability and equity; how one evaluation developed a multifaceted definition of vulnerability; methodological challenges that are related to analyzing vulnerability; and the value of considering equity through the lens of vulnerability. Næss et al'.s analysis of Norway's experience of climate change emphasizes that any assessment of vulnerability should be seen as a long-term process rather than a "one off assessment". The concept of vulnerability is relevant to discussions about equity and equality, as it reflects the consequences of certain communities having limited access to resources, knowledge, and power. The chapter explores the vulnerability that are relevant to Europe and North America, where the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reports that inequality in terms of household incomes has increased in almost all countries between the mid-1980s and mid-2000s.
