Exposure versus vulnerability

The focus of my thesis lies on measures for vulnerable people in exposed areas. I adopted the UNISDR (2009) definition of vulnerability, which distinguishes vulnerability from exposure. While part (or even all) of a given area (e.g., country, region, river basin, or community) can be exposed to a hazard, the population can be seen as consisting of vulnerable people and self-reliant people. Different parts of an area can be exposed to different types of hazard, and people can be vulnerable to different hazards. While part (or even all) of a given area (e.g., country, region, river basin, or community) can be exposed to a certain hazard, the population can be seen as consisting of vulnerable people and self-reliant people with regards to a certain hazard. 

The figure shows an area with vulnerable and self-reliant people. Whereas all the people in the floodplain may be exposed to floods, the self-reliant people are able to save themselves. They have the necessary physical and mental capacity, information and resources to save themselves, and are not restricted by commitments to e.g. family members, duty, possessions or place. Vulnerable people in the floodplain however have one or more of these characteristics and cannot immediately evacuate themselves out of the area. 

Figure created by Daniël Vrielink (2014).