(^166) Vulnerable Groups Human Development Report - Croatia 2008
Vulnerable Groups
Chapter 10 Summary
Though climate change is a global problem, it will not affect all people equally. Just as
global climate-related impacts are distributed unequally and disproportionately among
the poor, impacts at the national level mirror this trend. Vulnerability to climate change
depends greatly on the geographic, sectoral and social context. Poor communities can
be especially vulnerable to climate change – especially those concentrated in higher-risk
areas. Poorer communities tend to have more limited adaptive capacities and are more
dependent on climate-sensitive recourses. Similarly, the elderly – who are disproportion-
ately poor – are likely to face severer consequences related to health impacts in addition
to economic impacts.
Further study is required to determine the vulnerability of specific Croatian regions to the
impacts of climate change. Two considerations might be useful for further research.
- First, it would be useful to better understand the importance of weather-dependent
economic activities in the poorest counties and among the poorest people. - Second, it would be useful to explore additional vulnerability where weather-depen-
dent industries form the primary source of jobs in certain regions (e.g. fishing/ tour-
ism on the coast, farming in rural areas). - Regional differences between counties are already large in terms of income, employ-
ment, quality of life and development opportunities. Thus, special attention needs
to be given to regions that are already disadvantaged and could be in an even worse
position.