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A Measure of Uncertainty: The Nature of Vulnerability and Its Relationship to Malnutrition
Author(s) -
Webb Patrick,
Harinarayan Anuradha
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
disasters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.744
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1467-7717
pISSN - 0361-3666
DOI - 10.1111/1467-7717.00119
Subject(s) - vulnerability (computing) , malnutrition , poverty , clarity , context (archaeology) , action (physics) , work (physics) , poison control , risk analysis (engineering) , environmental health , business , development economics , public economics , economic growth , economics , computer security , medicine , engineering , computer science , geography , biology , mechanical engineering , biochemistry , physics , archaeology , quantum mechanics
Terms such as ‘vulnerability’ and ‘insecurity’ are used widely in the general nutrition literature as well as in work on humanitarian response. Yet these words are used rather loosely. This paper argues that more clarity in their usage would benefit those seeking a bridge between development and humanitarian problems. Since vulnerability is not fully coincident with malnutrition, poverty or other conventional indices of human deprivation, public action must be based on a better understanding of the nature of crises and human uncertainty beyond physiological and nutritional outcomes. More attention is needed to be paid to the context‐specific nature of risks, the capacity of households to manage such risks and the potential for public action to bolster indigenous capacity through targeted development investments, not just relief.