Growing Risk and Vulnerability—The Mountain Challenge
Risk and Vulnerability in
166
Mountain Regions
Given current reported and project- and cooperation to address them. from a tendency to address mainly
ed trends in global environmental More recently, the Institute for hazard in the risk equation, to
change, exposure to risk and vul- Environment and Human Security increased assessment of the vulnera-
nerability in mountain communities (EHS) of the UNU, created in 2003 bility component of risk.
could increase in coming decades. and based in Bonn, Germany, was
Mountain communities can be given a mandate to advance human
Complexities linked to
exposed to various hazards simulta- security in order to reduce vulnera-
neously, including rapid-onset haz- bility and risk related to environ-
vulnerability assessment
ards such as earthquakes, land- mental threats through targeted • Risk, sensitivity, resilience and
slides, and volcanic eruptions, as research and capacity development vulnerability are defined differ-
well as creeping processes such as activities. Most of the Institute’s ently in different disciplines. A
soil degradation, deforestation, loss activities are centered on vulnera- glossary of risk-related terms
of biodiversity, and drought. It is bility assessment—the most crucial compiled at UNU-EHS provides
thus urgent to increase current and least known part of the risk 35 definitions of vulnerability,
efforts to assess vulnerability and equation. This is arguably the most without claiming to be exhaus-
risk, and particularly to consider difficult component to address for a tive. Although agreement on a
the aggregated stress of multiple variety of reasons, including lack of single definition is unlikely, a
hazards. a common definition, multiple com- broad consensus on general con-
Over the past 20 years the Unit- plex assessment tools, the need to cepts would be useful, particular-
ed Nations University (UNU) has understand complex systems, and ly for more effective communica-
played an important role in promot- quantification of thresholds that tion among the scientific and
ing understanding of the challenges characterize the states of the sys- expert communities.
facing mountain communities and tems considered. Despite these diffi- • Nature cannot be dissociated
in fostering political commitment culties, there is currently a shift from social systems, as both
interact in complex, non-linear,
FIGURE 1 Feedback loop system with intervention tools to reduce vulnerability—part of the integrative unsteady, stochastic ways. Com-
BBC Conceptual Framework developed at UNU-EHS in Bonn, Germany (see Birkmann 2006). munity vulnerability to single or
multiple hazards is thus best ana-
lyzed by considering environ-
mental, social, and economic
dimensions, or by analyzing cou-
pled human–environment or
socio-ecological systems. Cou-
pled systems are by their very
nature extremely complex and
difficult to model. Complexity
increases in the case of interac-
tions between elements at vari-
ous temporal and spatial scales.
It is also difficult to quantify the
amount of disturbance that a sys-
tem can absorb before it changes
to a new and usually unfavorable
state.
• Several vulnerability assessment
frameworks have been devel-
oped in academic circles to try
to capture the above complexi-
ties. One example is the Sustain-
ability Systems Program’s vulner-
ability framework (Turner II et
al 2003), which looks at the vul-
nerability of coupled systems by
accounting for various interact-
ing spatial dimensions of vulner-
Mountain Research and Development Vol 28 No 2 May 2008
MountainPlatform
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ability and stressors, and by • Establish the link between moun- tions, participatory approaches, and
describing their exposure, sensi- tain ecosystem degradation and community-based coping practices
tivity and resilience. A second is community vulnerability; to detect and reduce vulnerability.
the BBC Conceptual Framework • Determine the degree to which UNU-EHS and the Munich Re
developed at UNU-EHS, which different community social Foundation also hold an annual
focuses on the social, economic, groups are vulnerable to environ- summer academy on social vulnera-
and environmental dimensions mental degradation; and bility. The academy provides an
of vulnerability, linking and • Characterize the similarities and opportunity for experts and PhD
integrating the concept of sus- differences in coping strategies researchers from around the world
tainable development with the used by different communities. to develop new approaches to com-
vulnerability framework. It also plex themes such as human security
incorporates the notion of inter- In the process, research will and resilience of complex social sys-
vention tools to reduce vulnera- also concentrate on identification tems related to disasters. UNU-EHS
bility (represented as a feedback and field testing of a set of objec- also implements a training program
loop system in Figure 1). tively verifiable environmental and for experts dealing with risk and
Despite the availability of such socioeconomic indicators that can vulnerability assessment in large
assessment frameworks, charac- be used to: 1) assess the vulnerabili- cities, including cities in mountain
terizing vulnerability remains ty of mountain communities to land regions.
difficult, as it is impossible to degradation; and 2) measure the All these activities will help in
collect all relevant information impact of changes in ecosystem the long run to refine assessment
and determine the required resource management on the local tools and methodologies to identify
threshold values. environment and socioeconomic policies and concrete actions
well-being of different social groups designed to reduce the vulnerability
in individual communities. of communities facing natural haz-
Vulnerability-related activities
UNU-EHS has also initiated an ards. This will have relevance and
of UNU-EHS Expert Working Group on Measur- be applicable in mountain regions
In accordance with its mandate, ing Vulnerability as an exchange as well as other environments.
UNU-EHS has developed vulnera- platform for experts and practition-
bility assessment methodologies and ers from various scientific back- REFERENCES
conducted vulnerability research grounds who deal with identifica- Birkmann J, editor. 2006. Measuring Vulnerabili-
looking at various hazards affecting tion and measurement of vulnera- ty to Natural Hazards. Towards Disaster Resilient
Societies. Tokyo, Japan: UNU Press.
floodplains and coastal areas. UNU- bility. The overall goal of the Expert Turner II BL, Matson PA, McCarthy JJ, Corell RW,
EHS is also part of the project on Working Group is to promote the Christensen L, Eckley N, Hovelsrud-Broda GK,
Sustainable Management in the concept of security for societies vul- Kasperson JX, Kasperson RE, Luers A, Martello
ML, Mathiesen S, Naylor R, Polsky C, Pulsipher
High Pamir and Pamir–Alai in nerable to natural hazards. In this A, Schiller A, Selink H, Tyler N. 2003. Illustrating
Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. This proj- context the development of the coupled human–environment system for vulner-
ect has a work package dealing with methodologies, approaches, and ability analysis: Three case studies. PNAS [Pro-
ceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of
vulnerability assessment in commu- indicators to measure vulnerability the United States of America] 100(14):8080–8085.
nities facing land degradation, is a key to bridging the theoretical Accessible at: www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/
pnas.1231334100
which can be categorized as a creep- concept of vulnerability and practi-
ing process. Scientists at the Insti- cal application in decision-making
tute collaborate with scientists in processes. The Expert Working
Fabrice Renaud
the region and other project part- Group will continue to meet annu- Academic Program Officer, Head of Environ-
ners to further develop and test the ally in the foreseeable future and mental Assessment & Resource Vulnerability
BBC Conceptual Framework and the results of research activities in Section, United Nations University, Institute
for Environment and Human Security
evaluate its suitability as a tool for the High Pamir and Pamir–Alai will UNU–EHS, UN Campus, Hermann-Ehlers-
assessing vulnerability to land be discussed in this forum. Strasse 10, D-53113 Bonn, Germany.
degradation in rural mountain com- UNU-EHS has a Chair on Social renaud@ehs.unu.edu
munities, and to determine the Vulnerability funded by the Munich Libor Jansky
impact of better ecosystem manage- Re Foundation. Activities include Senior Academic Program Officer, United
Nations University, Vice Rectorate in Europe,
ment in reducing vulnerability and research on the cultural and eco- UN Campus, Hermann-Ehlers-Strasse 10,
improving economic well-being. nomic dimensions of social vulnera- D–53113 Bonn, Germany.
Other vulnerability frameworks will bility, including institutional and jansky@vie.unu.edu
also be considered. More specifical- governance factors. Special atten- doi:10.1659/mrd.mp007
ly, the frameworks will be used to: tion is given to indigenous percep-
