Mapping Vulnerability

Chapter 8

From Vulnerability to Empowerment

 

Annelies Heijmans

INTRODUCTION

Disaster response agencies increasingly use the concept of ‘vulnerability’ to analyse processes that lead to disasters and to identify responses. Because no common definition of ‘vulnerability’ exists, agencies use the concept in the way that best fits their practice – in other words, focusing on physical and economic vulnerability. In most assessments, however, the stories of the affected communities are not included.

Local people view disasters as part of ‘normal life’ and develop coping strategies to adjust to a fast-changing environment. It appears, however, that in the context of globalization, these coping strategies are no longer effective. In Southeast Asia, ...