ABSTRACT
The planet we inhabit is in trouble – both in terms of ecological integrity, which stands severely compromised, and in terms of the social fabric of society, which is being ripped apart by forces and stresses of various kinds. More prominently, human society is seeing a rise in inequality, sociopolitical conflict and the effects of environmental degradation and a loss in the regenerative capacity of ecosystems that are destroyed with rapid urbanization, excessive mining, deforestation, poor waste disposal and pollution. With the loss of access to commons, the rural poor and Indigenous communities are amongst the worst affected. In each culture, there is a crisis of meaning – discontentment, fragmentation, alienation and rupture. This chapter focuses on how the concept of vulnerability has been interpreted in several different ways. This is followed by a discussion of the differences in vulnerabilities in urban and rural areas, complemented by three case studies showing the measures that can be adopted to reduce vulnerability, with a particular focus on economically deprived locations. The chapter concludes with some normative statements addressing the growing challenges posed by climate change, environmental degradation, urbanization, population growth and inadequate healthcare infrastructure.
