A View from the Top : Vulnerability in Mountain Systems

It is well recognized that mountain ecosystems and their inhabitants are among the most vulnerable to climate change. Measuring the nature and scope of these vulnerabilities remains, however, a work-in-progress. This note develops an analytical framework that builds upon two existing approaches: The Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change (IPCC) climate change vulnerability concept and its components of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity; and the mountain specificities framework, which offers a set of vulnerability criteria that, are particularly prevalent in mountain settings. The framework also provides a number of sample indicators which form the basis for scalable vulnerability assessments to inform adaptation policies and measures.