Earthquakes Glossary

vulnerability, susceptibility

The susceptibility of a system (structure, plant or facility, country or state, company etc.) towards harmful outside influences. Vulnerability is made up of a set of interactive conditions and processes resulting from physical, social, economic, and environmental factors. If the vulnerability is high, then the resistance to adverse impacts of hazards and their mitigation is insufficient. Positive factors, that increase the ability of people and the society they live in, to cope effectively with hazards and can reduce their susceptibility, are often designated as capacities. In the framework of vulnerability, damage and/or risk assessment studies the vulnerability V often describes the degree of loss (0 V 1) resulting from a natural phenomenon; 0: no damage, 1: total damage or total loss.