CONCEPTUAL
APPROACHES CONCERNING RISK,
VULNERABILITY AND ADAPTATION
C. NENCIU POSNER, IULIA ARMAŞ
Abstract. - This paper presents the main current conceptual approaches concerning risk, vulnerability and adaptation. Traditional studies focus mainly on the physical aspects (geomorphology, physical environment) of risk and vulnerability. This paper aims to present a conceptual framework covering both human and biophysical aspects of risks and vulnerabilities to flooding determining different practices, methods and strategies of adaptation. The reson the authors have chosen this approach is because 'a disaster is not a physical happening, it is a social occasion'. Natural disaster agents, have social consequences only because of the activities of involved communities, before, during and after the impact of a disaster. There is a lack of articulation between natural and social sciences, which has been the focus of research by environmental anthropologists at international but also at national level. In order to overcome this barrier, the paper aims to look at a conceptual common ground, bringing together concepts such as: risk, vulnerability, adaptability, sustainability and new ecological thinking.
Key words: risk, vulnerability, adaptability, sustainability, new ecology