Vulnerability to climate change in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago de Chile: Theoretical positions versus empirical evidences

Abstract

For the Metropolitan Region of Santiago de Chile (RMS), climate change implies different impacts adding to continuous urban growth and changes in land-use patterns, which in turn reinforce hydro-meteorological hazards such as floods and heat waves. At large, these changes are expected to have significant implications for residentsÍ€™ vulnerability. Particularly, marginalized families living in informal settlements of rapidly growing cities are often highly vulnerable to hazards due to their high exposure and limited coping capacities. This article seeks to contrast theoretical assumptions regarding the socio-economic, the physicalstructural and the urban-rural dimensions of vulnerability with empirical data in order to illuminate what groups are likely to be affected. As the research results show, general theoretical arguments are not reflected in the empirical data analysis. In contrast, residentsÍ€™ vulnerability to climate change is context-specific and requires appropriate policy strategies for differing areas.