Island Vulnerability explores the challenges which isolated geographies face when dealing with risk and disasters by examining the processes which create, maintain, and could be used to reduce their vulnerability.
Dealing with vulnerability on Anegada, BVI (British Virgin Islands)?
"But despite everything, I still love the sea. I am an islander."
"Nothing like living on an island to convince you that land is the correct place to be."
Understanding Island Vulnerability
The "what" questions are:
The "why" questions are:
See also alternatives to vulnerability.
"Where?" is answered by Island Vulnerability's islands.
"Who?" is answered by islanders and others working with islands and islanders. For more information on this website, please contact Island Vulnerability.
"How?" is illustrated by Island Vulnerability's projects & ideas.
View from Chalky Mount, Barbados.
This Website's Information
The information provided on the Island Vulnerability webpages is not intended to be comprehensive. Instead, it is indicative of the vulnerabilities and resiliences which islands experience, how to deal with the challenges, and how to create and pursue opportunities. The aim is to use selected examples to highlight and to explain the importance of island peoples, island communities, and island geographies. Suggestions, contributions, and corrections are encouraged by contacting Island Vulnerability.
Silhouette Island, Seychelles.
What are islands, isolated geographies, and small states?
What is vulnerability?
What significance does island vulnerability have?
A House on Upolu, Samoa Which Was Damaged by Cyclone Heta in January 2004.
Why island vulnerability?
Lough Oughter, Killykeen Forest, County Cavan, Ireland.
Alternatives to Vulnerability
Some people dislike the term "vulnerability", which like "resilience", does not translate well into many other languages or cultures. Sometimes definitions, connotations, and understandings of "vulnerability" vary but at other times the term is misunderstood or misinterpreted. In particular, vulnerability is often seen as just the current state, in a sense referring to what society is at the moment regarding characteristics such as its fragilities, weaknesses, and susceptibilities.
In contrast, this website considers vulnerability not only as the current state but also as the process by which that current state was reached and the direction in which the current state is heading. The "vulnerability process" refers to the actions, behaviours, values, ideas, and systems which have led to characteristics such as fragilities, weaknesses, and susceptibilities and which can perpetuate or absolve these issues. To absolve these issues, aspects including resistance, resilience, capacity, capability, strength, power, empowerment, and sustainability are necessarily addressed by vulnerability--ensuring that they, too, become processes, such as the "resilience process".
Nonetheless, some people still contend that the word "vulnerability" is too technocratic, negative, or otherwise inappropriate, especially if it would be frequently misunderstood (as occurs). Other possible phrases or ideas which refer to, encompass, or complement Island Vulnerability as defined by this website are Island Affairs, Island Capability, Island Capacity, Island Empowerment, Island Power, Island Resilience, Island Resiliency, Island Risk, Island Strength, and Island Sustainability.
Language is powerful and terminology is important. "Vulnerability" through the vulnerability process has deliberately been chosen for this website for the reasons described on this page. This choice does not imply that "vulnerability" is always the superior term irrespective of the circumstances, that other people are wrong or misguided, or that all inadequacies have been addressed. Instead, it suggests that for the perspective and interests displayed by this website, "vulnerability" is the best term, particularly with the definition provided. Rather than becoming mired in the inadequacies of language--particularly English--or rejecting anyone's work due to choice of vocabulary, continued thinking, discussion, debate, and exchange on terminology and meanings would help to ensure that our "doing" continually contributes constructively.
The material on the Island Vulnerability website is provided as only an information source. Neither definitive advice nor recommendations are implied. Each person or organisation accessing the website is responsible for making their own assessment of the topics discussed and are strongly advised to verify all information. No liability will be accepted for loss or damage incurred as a result of using the material on this website. The appearance of external links on this website does not constitute endorsement of the organisations, information, products, or services contained on that external website.