Climate Change and Human Health Literature Portal
In this article, we discuss how two interpretations of vulnerability in the climate change literature are manifestations of different discourses and framings of the climate change problem. The two differing interpretations, conceptualized here as ‘outcome vulnerability’ and ‘contextual vulnerability’, are linked respectively to a scientific framing and a human-security framing. Each framing prioritizes the production of different types of knowledge, and emphasizes different types of policy responses to climate change. Nevertheless, studies are seldom explicit about the interpretation that they use. We present a diagnostic tool for distinguishing the two interpretations of vulnerability and use this tool to illustrate the practical consequences that interpretations of vulnerability have for climate change policy and responses in Mozambique. We argue that because the two interpretations are rooted in different discourses and differ fundamentally in their conceptualization of the character and causes of vulnerability, they cannot be integrated into one common framework. Instead, it should be recognized that the two interpretations represent complementary approaches to the climate change issue. We point out that the human-security framing of climate change has been far less visible in formal, international scientific and policy debates, and addressing this imbalance would broaden the scope of adaptation policies.
Resource Description
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Extreme Weather-Related Event or Disaster, Food Quality, Food Security, Precipitation, Solar Radiation, Temperature, Water Quality, Water Security
- Extreme Weather-Related Event or Disaster, Food Quality, Food Security, Precipitation, Solar Radiation, Temperature, Water Quality, Water Security: Drought, Flood, Landslide
- Extreme Weather-Related Event or Disaster, Food Quality, Food Security, Precipitation, Solar Radiation, Temperature, Water Quality, Water Security: Nutritional quality
- Extreme Weather-Related Event or Disaster, Food Quality, Food Security, Precipitation, Solar Radiation, Temperature, Water Quality, Water Security: Availability/Distribution, Crop/Plant Food Security, Livestock/Game Food Security
- Extreme Weather-Related Event or Disaster, Food Quality, Food Security, Precipitation, Solar Radiation, Temperature, Water Quality, Water Security: Variability
- Extreme Weather-Related Event or Disaster, Food Quality, Food Security, Precipitation, Solar Radiation, Temperature, Water Quality, Water Security: Other Water Quality, Specify
- Other Water Quality, Specify: saltwater intrusion
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Ocean/Coastal
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Non-United States
- Non-United States: Africa
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General Health Impact
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Exposure Change Prediction, Methodology
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Long-Term (>10 years)
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Research Article, Review Article
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Adaptation, Communication, Sociodemographic Vulnerability
- Adaptation, Communication, Sociodemographic Vulnerability: Adaptation Co-Benefit/Co-Harm, Resilience, Vulnerability Assessment
- Adaptation, Communication, Sociodemographic Vulnerability: Researcher