Rethinking the interplay between affluence and vulnerability to aid climate change adaptive capacity

Christine Eriksen (), Gregory L. Simon, Florian Roth, Shefali Juneja Lakhina, Ben Wisner, Carolina Adler, Frank Thomalla, Anna Scolobig, Kate Brady, Michael Bründl, Florian Neisser, Maree Grenfell, Linda Maduz and Timothy Prior
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Christine Eriksen: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH)
Gregory L. Simon: University of Colorado Denver
Florian Roth: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH)
Shefali Juneja Lakhina: University of Wollongong
Ben Wisner: University College London
Carolina Adler: University of Bern
Frank Thomalla: Climate and Disaster Risk Research and Consulting
Anna Scolobig: University of Geneva
Kate Brady: Australian Red Cross
Michael Bründl: WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF
Florian Neisser: Fraunhofer Institute for Technological Trend Analysis INT
Maree Grenfell: Resilient Melbourne
Linda Maduz: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH)
Timothy Prior: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH)

Climatic Change, 2020, vol. 162, issue 1, No 3, 25-39

Abstract: Abstract Affluence and vulnerability are often seen as opposite sides of a coin—with affluence generally understood as reducing forms of vulnerability through increased resilience and adaptive capacity. However, in the context of climate change and an increase in associated hazards and disasters, we suggest the need to re-examine this dynamic relationship—a complex association we define here as the Affluence–Vulnerability Interface (AVI). We review research in different national contexts to show how a more nuanced understanding of the AVI can (a) problematize the notion that increasing material affluence necessarily has a mitigating influence on social vulnerability, (b) extend our analysis of social vulnerability beyond low-income regions to include affluent contexts and (c) improve our understanding of how psychosocial characteristics influence people’s vulnerability. Finally, we briefly outline three methodological approaches that we believe will assist future engagement with the AVI.

Keywords: Climate change adaptation; Disaster resilience; Natural hazards; Psychosocial coping capacity; Social vulnerability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10584-020-02819-x

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