Vulnerability to climate change among disadvantaged groups: the role of social exclusion

Abstract

The 'start-point' view of vulnerability falls within the social constructivist framework, according to which vulnerability influences the socio-economic capacity of individuals to respond to different external stressors (Füssel 2005). Adger and Kelly (1999) propose that for a long-term response to climate change we need to understand the processes that shape current adaptive capacity and affect vulnerability to contemporary environmental stress. To identify the most vulnerable local governmental areas in South Australia, dimensions of community were derived using data from the 2011 Australian Census of Population and Housing. In Australia in the last decade both climate change and social inclusion have emerged as important issues of political, community and media concern, and both have been the target of strong initiatives at all three levels of government, especially at the national level.