Vulnerable people, vulnerable world

Almost everyone feels vulnerable at some point in life. But some individuals and some groups are more vulnerable than others due to varying exposure to social and economic conditions and at different stages of their life cycles, starting at birth. This Report is concerned with people facing the possibility of major deterioration in their circumstances as a result of adverse events. The interest is in examining how individual and social characteristics condition the impacts that people feel in response to persistent shocks and risks more generally. By focusing on enduring and systemic vulnerability, we then ask who is vulnerable and why. This leads us to examine some of the critical underlying factors that generate these impacts.

Related Subject(s): Human Settlements and Urban Issues