* Major disasters increased over 93 per cent during the 1990s, reaching 712 in 2001

Introduction: Mapping Vulnerability * Theorizing Vulnerability in a Globalized World: A Political Ecological Perspective * The Historical Geography of Disaster: 'Vulnerability' and 'Local Knowledge' in Western Discourse * The Need for Rethinking the Concepts of Vulnerability and Risk from a Holistic Perspective: A Necessary Review and Criticism for Effective Risk Management * Complexity and Diversity: Unlocking Social Domains of Disaster Response * The Lower Lempa River Valley, El Salvador: Risk Reduction and Development Project * El Ni o Events, Forecasts and Decision-making * Vulnerable Regions versus Vulnerable People: An Ethiopian Case Study * From Vulnerability to Empowerment * Progress in Analysis of Social Vulnerability and Capacity * Vulnerability Reduction: A Task for the Vulnerable People Themselves * Macro-economic Concepts of Vulnerability: Dynamics, Complexity and Public Policy * Gendering Vulnerability Analysis: Towards a More Nuanced Approach * Assessment of Capability and Vulnerability * Conclusion: Vulnerability Analysis as a Means of Strengthening Policy Formulation and Policy Practice * Notes * References * Index