Vulnerability may be defined as "The extent to
which a community, structure, services or geographic area is likely to eva be
damaged or disrupted by the impact of particular hazard, on account of their
nature, construction and proximity to hazardous terrains or a disaster prone
area’.
Vulnerabilities can be categorized into physical and
socio-economic vulnerability.
Physical Vulnerability: It includes notions of who
and what may be damaged or destroyed by natural hazard such as earthquakes or
floods. It is based on the physical condition of people and elements at risk,
such as buildings, infrastructure etc; and their proximity, location and nature
of the hazard. It also relates to the technical capability of building and
structures to resist the forces acting upon them during a hazard event.
Unchecked growth of settlements in unsafe areas ex-poses
the people to the hazard. In case of an earthquake or landslide the ground may
fail and the houses on the top may topple or slide and affect the settlements
at the lower level even if they are designed well for earthquake forces.
Socio-economic Vulnerability: the degree to which a population
is affected by a hazard will not merely lie in the physical components of
vulnerability but also on the socioeconomic conditions. The socio-economic
condition of the people also determines the intensity of the impact. For example,
people who are poor and living in the sea coast don't have the money to
construct strong concrete houses. They are generally at risk and loose their
shelters whenever
there is strong wind or cyclone. Because of their
poverty they too are not able to rebuild their houses.