Incorporating HIV/AIDS Considerations into Vulnerability Assessments for Disaster Risk Reduction

Abstract

The paper briefly highlights the link between HIV/AIDS and vulnerability, the latter being a focus point of DRR. In particular it investigates in which ways HIV/AIDS contributes to the vulnerability (for the purposes of this discussion defined as the susceptibility of households to the negative effects of certain natural hazards, brought on by the interplay between various political, economic, social and environmental factors) of households. Secondly, the paper investigates the possible measurement of HIV/AIDS in general vulnerability assessments used for the purposes of DRR, by evaluating the merit of certain indicators often used to target humanitarian aid.