Social Vulnerability, Sustainable Livelihoods and Disasters: Integrating Vulnerability Analysis into Development and Humanitarian Programming
This report, prepared for DFID’s Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance Department and Sustainable Livelihoods Support Office, examines the conceptual and practical links between social vulnerability, sustainable livelihoods, and disaster risk reduction. Its central argument is that effective disaster preparedness cannot be separated from mainstream development work, and that vulnerability analysis offers a practical bridge between humanitarian programming and broader poverty reduction efforts through the Sustainable Livelihoods approach.
The report develops a framework for understanding social vulnerability as a multidimensional characteristic of people and households — shaped by well-being, livelihood resilience, self-protection capacity, social protection, and access to political and social networks — rather than simply a measure of poverty or physical exposure to hazards. It then applies this framework through four in-depth case studies of vulnerability analysis methodologies used by major humanitarian and development organizations, assessing each for its coverage of vulnerabilities, capacities, and livelihoods, as well as its practical strengths and limitations. The report concludes with a preliminary inventory of over 30 additional vulnerability analysis methods and documents.
This resource is relevant for disaster risk reduction practitioners, development planners, and humanitarian organizations seeking a comparative overview of leading vulnerability analysis frameworks and guidance on integrating disaster preparedness into community-level development programming.