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Vulnerability and Risk: Some Thoughts from a Political and Policy Perspective

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  • Daniel Sarewitz
  • Roger Pielke
  • Mojdeh Keykhah

Abstract

Public policies to mitigate the impacts of extreme events such as hurricanes or terrorist attacks will differ depending on whether they focus on reducing risk or reducing vulnerability. Here we present and defend six assertions aimed at exploring the benefits of vulnerability‐based policies. (1) Risk‐based approaches to covering the costs of extreme events do not depend for their success on reduction of vulnerability. (2) Risk‐based approaches to preparing for extreme events are focused on acquiring accurate probabilistic information about the events themselves. (3) Understanding and reducing vulnerability does not demand accurate predictions of the incidence of extreme events. (4) Extreme events are created by context. (5) It is politically difficult to justify vulnerability reduction on economic grounds. (6) Vulnerability reduction is a human rights issue; risk reduction is not.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Sarewitz & Roger Pielke & Mojdeh Keykhah, 2003. "Vulnerability and Risk: Some Thoughts from a Political and Policy Perspective," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 23(4), pages 805-810, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:riskan:v:23:y:2003:i:4:p:805-810
    DOI: 10.1111/1539-6924.00357
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    Cited by:

    1. Mariagrazia D'Angeli & Giovanni Marin & Elena Paglialunga, 2022. "Climate Change, Armed Conflicts and Resilience," Working Papers 2022.04, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    2. Nigel W. Arnell & Emma L. Tompkins & W. Neil Adger, 2005. "Eliciting Information from Experts on the Likelihood of Rapid Climate Change," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 25(6), pages 1419-1431, December.
    3. Nicolas Rossignol & Pierre Delvenne & Catrinel Turcanu, 2015. "Rethinking Vulnerability Analysis and Governance with Emphasis on a Participatory Approach," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 35(1), pages 129-141, January.
    4. Mengying Cui & David Levinson, 2018. "Accessibility analysis of risk severity," Transportation, Springer, vol. 45(4), pages 1029-1050, July.
    5. Ruxandra Bejinaru, 2022. "Cluster Analysis Of Risks And Vulnerabilities For Environment Sustainable Management," Oradea Journal of Business and Economics, University of Oradea, Faculty of Economics, vol. 7(2), pages 35-48, Septembri.
    6. Linn Svegrup & Jonas Johansson & Henrik Hassel, 2019. "Integration of Critical Infrastructure and Societal Consequence Models: Impact on Swedish Power System Mitigation Decisions," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 39(9), pages 1970-1996, September.
    7. Fengxiu Zhang, 2022. "Not all extreme weather events are equal: Impacts on risk perception and adaptation in public transit agencies," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 171(1), pages 1-21, March.
    8. Balikisu Osman, 2023. "Climate and Food Insecurity Risks: Identifying Exposure and Vulnerabilities in the Post-Food Production System of Northern Ghana," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-19, November.
    9. Alessandra Faggian & Marco Modica, 2020. "Natural disasters and the economy," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 40(2), pages 107-111, October.
    10. Horia-Nicolai L. Teodorescu, 2015. "Defining resilience using probabilistic event trees," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 279-290, June.
    11. Mastronardi, Luigi & Cavallo, Aurora & Romagnoli, Luca, 2022. "A novel composite environmental fragility index to analyse Italian ecoregions’ vulnerability," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    12. Gabe Mythen, 2021. "The Critical Theory of World Risk Society: A Retrospective Analysis," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(3), pages 533-543, March.
    13. Marin, Giovanni & Modica, Marco & Paleari, Susanna & Zoboli, Roberto, 2021. "Assessing disaster risk by integrating natural and socio-economic dimensions: A decision-support tool," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    14. Edris Alam & Md Sabur Khan & Roquia Salam, 2022. "Vulnerability assessment based on household views from the Dammar Char in Southeastern Bangladesh," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 113(1), pages 329-344, August.
    15. Lodi, Chiara & Marin, Giovanni & Modica, Marco, 2022. "Fiscal policy response of local governments to floods in Italy," FEEM Working Papers 329435, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    16. Giovanni Marin & Marco Modica & Susanna Paleari & Roberto Zoboli, 2019. "Disaster Risk Management: Building the ‘Disaster Risk Assessment Tool’ for Italy," SEEDS Working Papers 0319, SEEDS, Sustainability Environmental Economics and Dynamics Studies, revised Feb 2019.
    17. Robertas Alzbutas & Mindaugas Vaisnoras & Inga Saruniene & Ricardas Krikstolaitis & Mindaugas Valincius & Egidijus Babilas & Juozas Augutis & Sigitas Rimkevicius & Tomas Iesmantas & Feliksas Anusauska, 2021. "Aggregated Risk Assessment and Survey for Risk Reduction in Oil Terminals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-21, November.
    18. P. Ding & M. D. Gerst & A. Bernstein & R. B. Howarth & M. E. Borsuk, 2012. "Rare Disasters and Risk Attitudes: International Differences and Implications for Integrated Assessment Modeling," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(11), pages 1846-1855, November.
    19. Walter W. Piegorsch & Susan L. Cutter & Frank Hardisty, 2007. "Benchmark Analysis for Quantifying Urban Vulnerability to Terrorist Incidents," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(6), pages 1411-1425, December.

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