3. Types of Shocks Impacting Vulnerability

On the other hand, we have external one which we cannot less control, is an exogenous variable. What are they? External variables are considered in this double structure of vulnerability as exposure. So, exposure to what, some shock or some events like it depends on what kind of shocks, is it natural phenomena or some epidemics or not merely a kind of special exposure but how defenseless like I am for that one.

This chunk introduces the concept of external shocks, which are factors beyond our control that can affect vulnerability. These shocks can be natural (like earthquakes or floods) or related to health (such as epidemics). The term 'exogenous variable' refers to factors outside the individual's or community’s control, contributing to their overall exposure to risks. Essentially, it highlights that vulnerability is linked to how exposed people are to these uncontrollable events and how defenseless they feel.

Imagine living in a coastal town prone to hurricanes. The residents cannot control when or how strong a hurricane will hit (this is the external shock). Their vulnerability increases because they are directly in the path of these storms, fostering a sense of helplessness.

So, double structure of vulnerability, two components; one is the exposure one and this exposure one according to Bohle that we can understand this exposure context from 3 different dimensions. One is human ecological perspective, population dynamics, capacity to manage the environment, population growth, and how human ecology is looking at population growth and the capacity to manage the environment.

The double structure of vulnerability consists of two main components: exposure to shocks and the context of that exposure. According to Bohle, the context can be analyzed through three dimensions: ecological perspective, population dynamics, and the ability to manage the environment. For instance, a community with a growing population may struggle to manage natural resources effectively, increasing their vulnerability to environmental shocks such as droughts.

Consider a rapidly growing city where more people are competing for limited water resources. As the population grows and the capacity to manage those water resources declines, the community becomes more vulnerable to water shortages, especially during dry seasons.

And also the entitlement theory, the capacity theory and that the people have for control and to get to secure the means of their economic needs. And also the political-economic approach like the question of inequalities or disparities of assets, the power structures.

This chunk discusses two important frameworks: entitlement theory and political-economic approach. Entitlement theory discusses how individuals gain access to economic resources, while the political-economic approach examines the inequalities in asset distribution and power dynamics within society. Understanding these concepts helps in recognizing how they increase people's vulnerability to disruptions, as those with fewer resources or power are less able to cope with shocks.

Think of a farmer with access to land and water (entitlements) versus a farmer without these resources. The first farmer can produce enough food to withstand a bad season, while the second farmer is more vulnerable to hunger and hardship due to their lack of resources.

Well to understand people's coping, we can also borrow the ideas from crisis and conflict kind of studies, who have the access to assets and resources and how it matter of conflict between individuals and groups or maybe sometimes action theory approaches, how people act, react frequently as a result of social-economic and governmental constraints and model access to assets like a mitigation of vulnerability through access.

This chunk focuses on coping mechanisms during crises and conflicts. It's important to analyze who has access to resources and how this access can lead to conflicts among individuals or groups. Additionally, understanding action theory helps illustrate how people respond to their circumstances, influenced by socioeconomic and governmental limitations. This perspective provides insight into how vulnerability can be reduced by enhancing access to necessary resources.

Consider a community affected by a natural disaster. Those with strong social networks may cooperate to secure resources like food and shelter, whereas individuals isolated from these networks may struggle to meet their basic needs, showcasing the importance of social capital in times of crisis.

There is another more prominent and very popular conceptual idea of vulnerability is the sustainable livelihood framework. It is not really on vulnerability, but they are one of the pioneering approach that define and quoted the vulnerability and which was now very regularly used in disaster risk and other risk management.

This chunk introduces the sustainable livelihood framework, which, while not specifically about vulnerability, provides a foundational understanding of how vulnerabilities arise in development contexts. Initially developed by Chambers and Conway, the framework focuses on poverty and livelihoods, placing people at the center. It defines vulnerability in terms of external shocks and trends that can affect individuals' ability to sustain their livelihoods.

Visualize a family that runs a small farm. If there is a drought (a shock), their ability to produce food is threatened, illustrating how environmental factors can impact livelihoods and vulnerability. This framework helps us see these connections and develop strategies to improve resilience.

According to this model, people are actually operating, you know they are working in a context of vulnerability. What is the context of vulnerability? So, vulnerability context is defined with 3 characteristics that people are at vulnerable because shock, trends, and seasonality.

This chunk elaborates on the vulnerability context, which is defined through three key elements: shocks, trends, and seasonality. Shocks refer to sudden events (like natural disasters), trends are long-term changes (like rising population), and seasonality pertains to periodic fluctuations, such as employment opportunities based on agricultural seasons. Together, these factors create a landscape where individuals or communities may experience heightened vulnerability.

Imagine a farmer who faces crop failures due to inconsistent rainfall (shock), deals with an increasing population demanding more food resources (trend), and struggles to find work during the off-season of agriculture (seasonality). These interconnected factors significantly shape their vulnerability.

So what are the shocks? One is the natural shocks like flood, drought, and cyclone. And health shocks like epidemic like cholera or even dengue let us say, or economic shocks like some financial recessions or maybe death in the family for a household or maybe violence like civil war in case of Syria or in many other countries in case of Sri Lanka when they were in civil war or in case of Bosnia.

This chunk outlines various types of shocks that can impact vulnerability, categorized into natural shocks (like floods and cyclones), health shocks (like disease outbreaks), economic shocks (like financial recessions or familial loss), and sociopolitical shocks (like civil wars). Each of these has a different impact on individuals and communities, often exacerbating their vulnerability and reducing their ability to cope effectively.

Consider a family living in a region affected by both economic recession and seasonal flooding. The recession limits their financial resources while flooding destroys their crops. These dual shocks create compounded vulnerability, making recovery more challenging.

Another one is the seasonality and seasonal shift in price like the price of the crops of the food for the agricultural labor or the productions because of production is low or high, because of climate change maybe the production is not so high this year. Or maybe the food availability or employment opportunity, how many days I have employment opportunity in a particular season, maybe in winter I do not have any job in as agricultural labor because nobody is harvesting this time.

This chunk focuses on how seasonality affects vulnerability, specifically regarding agricultural employment and prices. Seasonal shifts can lead to fluctuations in food prices and availability, affecting the financial stability and food security of agricultural laborers. For example, if a drought reduces crop yields in the summer, farmers may not have sufficient produce to sell, leading to economic instability and increased vulnerability.

Think about a seasonal worker in agriculture. During harvest season, they have plenty of job opportunities, but these dwindle in winter when there is little to no work. This seasonality in employment creates financial unpredictability that can significantly affect their livelihood and overall vulnerability.

Also, in case of some countries like in case of Japan or in case of many European countries, there is a question about the populations. There are only few people, young people in any community. So, it can also increase the vulnerability of that community.

This chunk highlights the effects of demographic trends on vulnerability, particularly in countries facing population decline and aging populations. As communities have fewer young people, there may be decreased workforce capacity to respond to shocks, increasing overall community vulnerability. This demographic shift can affect economic stability, social services, and community resilience.

Consider a rural town in Japan where many young people have moved to cities for better job prospects. The elderly population left behind struggles to maintain the community and respond to economic or environmental shocks, impacting the town's overall resilience and increasing its vulnerability.

So, 3 conditions are important to define people's direct vulnerable context. One is the shock, trend, and seasonality. Now, this vulnerability context actually, this is the poor people and is affecting their household capacity or their own individual capacity. So, they have actually different kind of capitals or capacities. One is a human capital, social capital, financial capital, and physical capital.

This chunk describes three critical factors that define vulnerability: shocks, trends, and seasonality, further exploring how these elements combine to affect individuals' or households’ capacities to cope. It introduces the concept of different types of capital—including human, social, financial, and physical capital—that can influence a person's vulnerability level; those with greater access to these forms of capital may better withstand shocks and maintain their livelihoods.

For example, a well-educated individual (human capital) with a strong network of friends and family (social capital), sufficient savings (financial capital), and access to durable assets like a home (physical capital) is less vulnerable to economic hardship than someone who lacks these resources.

So, how one look into these livelihood assets or capitals? Livelihood assets we say that there are 5 capitals; human capital, social capital, physical capital, financial capital, and natural capital.

This chunk focuses on the five types of livelihood assets or capitals: human, social, physical, financial, and natural. Each type of capital plays a role in determining the resilience of individuals and communities. Understanding how these capitals function together helps clarify how people can mitigate vulnerability and enhance their capacity to bounce back from shocks.

Think of a community project aimed at improving resilience. If it includes education and skills training (human capital), builds networks for mutual support (social capital), and secures funding (financial capital), alongside protecting the natural environment (natural capital), the project is more likely to succeed in making the community less vulnerable.

And human capital; knowledge and skill like education or good health I am capable person, nutrition I am getting enough food, nutritious food, ability to labor I can work, I can give my labor, capacity to adapt, in any situation, I can adapt culturally.

This chunk dives into human capital, which encompasses knowledge, health, and skills that enable individuals to perform labor and succeed socially and economically. Good health, education, and nutritional status contribute significantly to one's capability to withstand shocks and exploit opportunities. Moreover, cultural adaptability enhances an individual's ability to navigate different societal contexts, further solidifying their resilience against vulnerabilities.

For instance, a young woman who completed higher education is more likely to secure a well-paying job and sustain her family, providing both financial stability and health for her children. This educational advantage represents a form of human capital that significantly reduces vulnerability.

And social capital, of course my network, network works very well, my human networks, connections with each other or membership in a group, formal and informal.

This chunk emphasizes the importance of social capital, which includes the networks and relationships individuals have with others. Strong networks can lead to better access to resources, support in times of need, and shared opportunities for collaboration. Social capital builds trust and mutual aid among community members, which can be critical for coping during crises and reducing vulnerability.

Consider a neighborhood where families share resources, whether through mutual support during emergencies or community meetings to address local issues. This interconnectedness showcases social capital, where individuals benefit from collective strength, making them more resilient against challenges.

And trust and mutual support, during emergency situations or any situations, we need to cooperate with each other and we need to trust each other because trust minimize the uncertainty so trust and mutual support between individuals in a group is very important and this is one of the social capital, and also it depends on the social capital, the rules and sanctions, social norms are there.

This chunk explains the significance of physical capital and the necessity of trust and cooperation during emergencies. While social capital emphasizes networks and collaboration, physical capital refers to tangible assets like buildings, infrastructure, and tools essential for livelihoods. When communities trust each other and build supportive relationships, they can collectively manage crises more effectively and reduce vulnerabilities.

During a natural disaster, communities with strong physical infrastructures, such as emergency shelters and well-functioning road systems, can respond quickly and efficiently, whereas those without these supports face greater risk and challenges. Trust among community members leads to effective cooperation in times of need.

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