Vulnerability

Vulnerability can be defined as the exposure and sensitivity to livelihood shocks and risks. Risks are the combination of the probability or frequency of occurrence of a defined hazard and the magnitude of the consequences. Hazards often cannot be prevented, and if they materialize, can generate a shock that affects households and communities in both predictable and unpredictable ways. The degree of vulnerability depends on the nature of the risk and a household’s resilience, or ability to recover after a shock(s).

Vulnerability can be lessened by 1) reducing exposure to risks of shocks that affect many people (e.g., frequent droughts) or shocks that affect individuals or households (e.g., the death of the household head) and 2) increasing the household’s ability to manage shocks. However, chronically food-insecure households often are not resilient to shocks and are continuously vulnerable.

The government has initiated poverty reduction policies (in particular the Rectangular Strategy) that attempts to reduce poverty, increase food security and thus reduce vulnerability of poor households.