From Vulnerability to Adaptation to Climate Change: Food for Thoughts in Social Sciences - Vulnerability of Coastal Ecosystems and Adaptation - page 246

(accommodation, telecommunication, public infrastructure, etc.),
which can paradoxically impinge on the budgets allocated to the
management and response to hazards as well as amplifying its
impacts. As an example, the gradual increase in population density on
capital islands of coral reef archipelagos is clearly leading to an
increase in population numbers exposed to marine-meteorological
hazards [DUV 13] .
Living conditions directly affect the vulnerability of local
communities in the face of risk. Buildings can be precarious and fail
to resist the movements of water, violent winds, high temperatures or
even salt intrusions. They can be more or less adapted to changes in
climatic conditions.
The vulnerability/education relationship is very ambiguous. On the
face of it, it would be reasonable to think that the level of education of
the concerned population would tend to condition the capacity of its
individuals to adopt behaviors and practices that reduce vulnerability.
However, a high level of education does not necessarily include a
precise knowledge of all the different types of risk affecting the place
or the adequate response mechanisms to deploy. Similarly, traditional
knowledge, which is a fully fledged educational mechanism, can
instigate adequate anticipation and resilience measures when faced
with known hazards. So education should be perceived in the very
broad meaning of the term and as a function of the specificities of the
local context.
Employment-related aspects which are both quantitative and
qualitative (proportion of active population, types of activities, level
of wage, informal subsistence activities, etc.), also affect vulnerability
in that they determine the level of income for the households. The
income is largely responsible for the presence of solid accommodation
(either modern or traditional), for transport, specific resources, etc.
Depending on the context, income can also explain settling in less
risky areas, although this parameter should be analyzed with caution
as coastal plains surrounding lagoons, such as the Ermitage in
Reunion Island for instance, are highly attractive places where land is
associated with very high prices.