Threat vs. Risk vs. Vulnerability

Within the climate change adaptation community a significant focus to deal with the impacts has come from the Disaster Risk Reduction community. These communities, largely within donor driver organizations are critical to the response in the event of extreme disasters. They play a critical role in humanitarian efforts. Impacts from climate change will certainly need the support of these organizations.

On the other hand, the approach of disaster risk reduction focuses on mitigation of disasters as extreme events from threats. Threats, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis, by definition can not be controlled. This will be important for the extreme effects of climate change when they do occur.

In contracts, climate change adaptation examines increasing vulnerabilities and makes pre-emptive adjustments to treat the negative impacts of those, while improving overall conditions.

Disaster Risk Reduction is reactive.

Climate change adaptation is pro-active.

With all due respect to the disaster risk reduction community and their important work, the approach advocated here is proactive and responsive to the vulnerabilities of human and natural systems resulting from climate change.

Being reactive is being a victim. 

Being proactive is contributing to the solution.

thanks to Pinkerton Consulting & Investigations, Inc. d.b.a. Pinkerton Corporate Risk Management for this clarification at http://www.pinkerton.com/blog/risk-vulnerability-threat-differences