Why

The context in which a climate hazard occurs will directly affect the level of impact it has. Different populations experience the same extreme event in different ways. “Social vulnerability” refers to the extent to which an individual, population, or community is at risk. While the reasons for this are multifaceted, they include the geographic setting of the event, characteristics of the hazard, pre-existing conditions (social, economic and political), degree of exposure and emergency response levels etc. Information on the vulnerability of an area can provide valuable knowledge for use in decision making, resource allocation and the prioritisation of action.