The concept of vulnerability has broadened from initial applications in the fields of risk and hazards, human ecology and resilience to include the management of social-ecological systems (SES). We review how this concept has been operationalized in various contexts and identify opportunities and challenges to apply vulnerability assessments to SES management in the face of social, environmental, and climatic changes. We synthesize these lessons into a 12-step framework to help practitioners scope, design, operationalize, and implement vulnerability assessments that can effectively minimize exposure, reduce sensitivity, and enhance adaptive capacity. We describe the rationale, assumptions, and implications that underlie each step and highlight future directions that are critically needed to further enable vulnerability assessments to address real-world sustainability challenges. These include applying biocultural approaches, building knowledge about SES vulnerability to nonclimate stressors, and anticipating potential trade-offs and maladaptation. The framework presented provides a roadmap for the development of integrated vulnerability assessments that are robust, context-specific, and relevant to the management of SES.

中文翻译：

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利用脆弱性评估的潜力来管理社会生态系统

脆弱性的概念已从最初在风险和危害，人类生态学和复原力领域的应用扩展到包括对社会生态系统（SES）的管理。我们回顾了该概念如何在各种情况下付诸实践，并面对社会，环境和气候变化，确定了将脆弱性评估应用于SES管理的机遇和挑战。我们将这些课程综合为一个12个步骤的框架，以帮助从业人员确定范围，设计，操作和实施漏洞评估，以有效地减少暴露，降低敏感性并增强适应能力。我们描述了基本原理，假设，隐含着每个步骤的含义，并强调了进一步进行脆弱性评估以应对现实世界中的可持续性挑战所急需的未来方向。这些措施包括采用生物文化方法，建立有关SES对非气候压力源的脆弱性的知识，以及预期潜在的取舍和适应不良。提出的框架为开发综合性漏洞评估提供了一个路线图，该评估是健壮的，针对特定上下文的，并且与SES的管理有关。