Page 20 - Module_9_en

Module In the context of climate change, vulnerability is a function of the character, magnitude and rate of
climate variation to which a system is exposed, people’s sensitivity and their adaptive capacity. Exposure
could include geographical location, especially related to high exposure to risks (i.e., people living in the
areas of natural disasters such as drought or coastal areas and river basins affected by floods).

Sensitivity and adaptive capacity are context-specific and vary from country to country, from
community to community, among social groups and individuals, and over time in terms of its value, but
9-12 December, 2013 social development (i.e., a population containing people sick with malaria, HIV/AIDS, areas with rain-
also according to its nature. A population could be considered sensitive based on their overall level of

fed agriculture, limited access to resources for migrants, widows, disabled people with higher level of

poverty and food insecurity). Finally, adaptive capacity depends on access to resources that could help
in responding to threats and exposures (i.e., functioning community networks, access to low-rate loans,
accessible services such as health care and sanitation, irrigation systems and water storage, etc.).This
includes the ability of individuals to cooperate within households, but also with neighbors and with the
community leaders and their involvement in decision-making. Adaptive capacity of the communities is
often depleted when they are in conflict zones, when they forced to migrate and in areas with low law
enforcement.

BOX 3 Examples of human health vulnerabilities in the context of climate
change

Exposure Impacts on human well-being Sensitivities, limited capacities
and environment and pressures contributing to the impacts
More frequent ? Geographically widespread ? Severely degraded or collapsed health
geographically changes in climate that care system
widespread increase the geographic ? Poor and declining immunity, nutritional
and sustained area and number of disease and health status of large portion of
epidemics of vectors population
infectious and ? More frequently heavy ? High poverty rates that limit access to
waterborne rainfall and drought events health care
disease with high that disrupt water supply
human mortality and sanitation and expose ? Lack of disease surveillance, vector
people to waterborne control and prevention programs
pathogens ? Large portion of population lose reliable
access to potable water and sanitation
? Land use changes, including new
reservoirs that increase habitat for
disease vectors

18 Volume Two - Themes
Vulnerability and Impact assessments for Adaption to Climate Change (VIA Module)