Publication

The idea of ‘vulnerability’ is widely used shorthandfor the disproportionate impacts that climatechange will have on high-risk groups and fragile ecosystems. Decision-makers increasingly want to target adaptation funding at those people andenvironments most affected by climate change.But then, they must also be able to monitor theeffectiveness of their investments. Vulnerability analysis is sometimes presented as a way out, butexisting approaches are often of little use. In thisarticle, Marcus Moench suggests that to be truly usefulas a basis for dialogue, action and accountability, themeaning of ‘vulnerability’ must be clarified and the methods for analyzing it greatly strengthened. Thismeans establishing standard, replicable approachesthat differentiate between the roles and exposure ofstakeholders, systems and institutions