Vulnerability 023
Vulnerability 023 :
For some, particularly natural and physical scientists, vulnerability is defined as proximity or exposure to natural hazards or the probability of a disastrous occurrence (including the potential for losses owing to triggering agents) (see Reynolds 1993). Engineers, in contrast, define vulnerability as the ability of a built structure to resist the strain or force exerted by natural or other disaster agents (Norton and Chantry 1993). Sociologists, anthropologists and other social scientists define vulnerability as the amount of coping capacity, or the degree to which social, cultural, political and economic factors limit the ability to take steps to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, or recover from disaster (see Blaikie and others 1994; Sinha 1992a; Pelanda 1982). (McEntire 1999, 5)
