The human dimension of vulnerability: A scoping review of the Nordic literature on factors for social vulnerability to climate risks

Abstract

The concept of vulnerability has obtained increased research interest due to the ongoing climate change. The concept has a broad and general meaning which makes it necessary to specify what it actually means in any specific context. In exposure to climate risks, it is important to highlight who and what is vulnerable to climate-related hazards. The concept of social vulnerability derives from ongoing research in disaster, developmental, and socio-geographic sciences. Social vulnerability emphasises the social dimension of vulnerability and how different factors in interaction contribute to influence who is vulnerable. This scoping review is part of a larger project that aimed at increasing the understanding of social vulnerability in a Swedish and Nordic context. The review explores what Nordic literature on vulnerability related to climate hazards has identified as relevant for social vulnerability. 32 articles were included and underwent content analysis. The analysis process was characterised by the involvement of the project group in an iterative cross-disciplinary approach to the topic. This study concludes that social vulnerability is a dynamic process in both time and space; the degree of spatial resolution of vulnerability assessments impacts the possibility to detect vulnerable groups; it is in the combination of factors that social vulnerability emerges; and that the finding of risk perception re-emphasises the agency of the individual.