Assessing Human Vulnerability to Climate Change from an Evolutionary Perspective

The case study examines human vulnerability to extreme events, asserting that it is determined by both exogenous hazards and endogenous characteristics of human systems. It argues that an evolutionary perspective provides critical insights into adaptive capacity, which is often limited by structural and historical factors. To demonstrate this, the text compares the root causes of vulnerability in Haiti and Chile following their 2010 earthquakes. The author contends that qualitative research methods are necessary to uncover these structural and historical root causes, citing the Global Islands’ Vulnerability Research Adaptation and Policy Development Project as a model for community-based qualitative assessment.

• Human vulnerability to extreme events is determined by both external exposure to hazards and the internal characteristics of the human system, such as households, communities, or nations.
• An evolutionary perspective helps identify the adaptive capacity of human systems, though this capacity is limited by historical and structural constraints.
• Qualitative research methods are the only way to obtain the detailed data required to identify the historical and structural root causes of vulnerability.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2017). Assessing Human Vulnerability to Climate Change from an Evolutionary Perspective. https://cdkn.org/resource/case-study-assessing-human-vulnerability-climate-change-evolutionary-perspective

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. Assessing Human Vulnerability to Climate Change from an Evolutionary Perspective. 2017. https://cdkn.org/resource/case-study-assessing-human-vulnerability-climate-change-evolutionary-perspective.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=Assessing Human Vulnerability to Climate Change from an Evolutionary Perspective |date=2 February 2017 |url=https://cdkn.org/resource/case-study-assessing-human-vulnerability-climate-change-evolutionary-perspective |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2017assessing, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{Assessing Human Vulnerability to Climate Change from an Evolutionary Perspective}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2017}, month = feb, url = {https://cdkn.org/resource/case-study-assessing-human-vulnerability-climate-change-evolutionary-perspective}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }