Chapter 5 Protecting the Poor

5.2 As traditionally defined and measured, poverty is a static concept. But vulnerability and insecurity are dynamic. Insecurity is exposure to risk; vulnerability is the resulting possibility to suffer a decline in well-being. The event triggering the decline is often referred to as a “shock.” Shocks can affect individuals (illness, death), a community, region, or even a nation (natural disasters, macroeconomic crises). Living with high risk is part of life for the poor, and changes in trade, technology, and climate may well be increasing the riskiness of everyday life.