4. Chancen dynamischer Konzeptionen von Vulnerabilität für den Katastrophenschutz

Approaches to ‘vulnerability’ in eight European disaster management systems

“…They have little training in or knowledge of individual needs (IFRC, 2018). This general issue is also represented in the gap between disaster management and social actors (for Germany, see, for example, Gabel (2019)).…”

“…Owing to a variety of individual factors, needs can differ substantially among those who are subsumed under the same 'vulnerable group'. Dynamic or situational understandings of the nature of vulnerability put the type of disaster or shock upfront in planning, rather than emphasising the similarity of particular groups (Gabel, 2019). This mitigates the risk of stereotyping people.…”

“…According to this view, groups such as disabled persons or those living in poverty are considered to be vulnerable and tend to be seen as such not only during specific events but in general; vulnerability becomes static. Although this view is supported by recent crises and events that demonstrate that it is often similar individuals who can be thought of as vulnerable (such as children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and the socio‐economically disadvantaged), there are also strong arguments against taking such an approach (Gabel, 2019). Not only do these findings not hold true for all members of these groups—they are also rather quite heterogenic in their requirements and need for assistance—but also those who are often not considered to be vulnerable might become so due to particular situations in which they find themselves, framing vulnerability as a characteristic that affects everyone in a certain way.…”

“…While vulnerability is linked to sociodemographic markers such as gender, class, or race, increasing evidence suggests the need for an intersectionality approach (Kuran et al, 2020) that helps to differentiate between the specific ways in which structural factors such as socioeconomic inequality, inadequate preparedness policies, and situational and temporal aspects, may exacerbate these vulnerabilities. In this vein, to what extent, for instance, a person with a certain impairment becomes vulnerable depends on the specific situation and on existing social structures and the extent to which they empower such an individual (Wisner et al, 2004; Mechanic and Tanner, 2007; UN, 2015; Gabel, 2019). Wisner et al (2004, p. 15) propose, therefore, that we speak of vulnerable situations; a term that was also taken up by the United Nations’ Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.…”