FIGURE 1.24 Photo Essay: Vulnerability to Climate Change This map shows overall human vulnerability to climate change based on a combination of human and environmental factors. Areas shown in darkest brown are vulnerable to floods, hurricanes, droughts, sea level rise, or other impacts related to climate change. When a population is exposed to an impact that it is sensitive to and has little resilience to, it becomes vulnerable. For example, many populations are exposed to drought, but generally speaking, the poorest populations are the most sensitive. However, sensitivity to drought can be compensated for if adequate relief and recovery systems, such as emergency water and food distribution systems, are in place. These systems lend an area a level of resilience that can reduce its overall vulnerability to climate change. A place’s vulnerability to climate change can be thought of as a result of its sensitivity, exposure, and resilience in the face of multiple climate impacts. 1.24a Courtesy Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images, 1.24c Courtesy Deshakalyan Chowdhury/AFP/Getty Images, 1.24d Courtesy Jean-Marc Giboux/Getty Images, 1.24e Courtesy Orlando Sierra/AFP/Getty Images, 1.24f Courtesy Universal History Archive/Getty Images