Glossary

The degree of loss to a given element or set of elements within the area affected by a hazard. It is expressed on a scale of 0 (no loss) to 1 (total loss). Also, a set of conditions and processes resulting from physical, social, economic, and environmental factors, which increase the susceptibility of a community to the impact of hazards.

A key component in the SL framework, the Vulnerability Context refers to the shocks, trends and seasonality that affect people’s livelihoods – often, but not always, negatively. The key feature of all the factors within the Vulnerability Context is that they are not controllable by local people in the immediate or medium-term. Vulnerability or livelihood insecurity resulting from these factors is a constant reality for many poor people.