ABSTRACT
Agencies, institutions, and organizations involved in disaster risk reduction (DRR) including climate change adaptation (CCA) use differing definitions of 'vulnerability' to describe factors, processes, or constraints of an economic, social, physical, or geographic nature which reduce the ability of individuals and communities to prepare for and cope with disasters. A social view of resilience was introduced to the disasters field by Timmerman, who in effect presented the concept as the opposite of vulnerability. Causes of vulnerability to disasters serve to diminish capacity for resilience against their consequences. Discrimination, displacement, impoverishment, denial of access to resources, corrupt siphoning of funds intended for public good, and denial of tax payments are globally identified as repetitive causes of inequality, poverty and ultimate vulnerability. By placing climate change within disaster risk reduction, while using the prominence of climate change to promote and achieve wider development agendas, a long-term perspective is supported in which related research better serves policy and practice – and vice versa.
