Disasters are becoming more frequent and intense, with devastating consequences for vulnerable households and communities, especially in the poorest countries. In the past decade, weather-related disasters have displaced hundreds of millions of people. This number will only increase as the frequency and intensity of disasters escalate.

Climate-related disasters put millions of people at risk of displacement. To effectively plan and deliver disaster risk reduction and response plans in contexts at risk of disaster displacement, governments and humanitarian agencies require good quality assessments of displacement risk. Social vulnerability is a key displacement risk factor that needs to be well integrated into assessment tools.

In this good practice review, the International Institute for Environment and Development takes stock of how social vulnerability is integrated into displacement risk assessments. Finding that prominent risk assessment methodologies offer a limited account of social vulnerability, IIED proposes a series of practical solutions.