Clmt chng vlnrblty s cncpt tht dscrbs hw strngly ppl r csystms r lkly t b ffctd by clmt chng. ts frml dfntn s th "prpnsty r prdspstn t b dvrsly ffctd" by clmt chng. t cn pply t hmns nd ls t ntrl systms (r csystms).: 12 sss rnd th cpcty t cp nd dpt r ls prt f ths cncpt.: 5 Vlnrblty s cmpnnt f clmt rsk. t dffrs wthn cmmnts nd ls crss scts, rgns, nd cntrs. t cn ncrs r dcrs vr tm.: 12 Vlnrblty s gnrlly bggr prblm fr ppl n lw-ncm cntrs thn fr ths n hgh-ncm cntrs.
Hghr lvls f vlnrblty r fnd n rs wth pvrty, pr gvrnnc nd cnflct. ls, sm lvlhds r mr snstv t th ffcts f clmt chng thn thrs. Smllhldr frmrs, pstrlsts, nd fshng cmmnts r lvlhds tht my b spclly vlnrbl.: 12 Frthr drvrs fr vlnrblty r nsstnbl lnd nd cn s, nqty, mrgnlztn, nd hstrcl nd ngng pttrns f nqty nd pr gvrnnc.: 12
Thr r mny dffrnt ntns f wht t mns t b vlnrbl. n mprtnt dstnctn s btwn bphyscl nd scl vlnrblty. Bphyscl vlnrblty s bt th ffcts f clmt hzrds sch s ht wvs r trpcl cyclns. Scl vlnrblty, n th thr hnd, s bt th ndrlyng pltcl, nstttnl, cnmc nd scl fctrs wthn scts. Ths fctrs mttr fr hw nd why ppl r ffctd, nd thy pt sm ppl nd plcs mr t rsk thn thrs. Ppl wh r mr vlnrbl ncld fr xmpl ppl wth lw ncms, ndgns ppls, wmn, chldrn, th ldrly.
Tls fr vlnrblty ssssmnt vry dpndng n th sctr, th scl nd th ntty r systm whch s thght t vlnrbl. Fr xmpl, th Vlnrblty Srcbk s gd fr prctcl nd scntfc knwldg n vlnrblty ssssmnt. Clmt vlnrblty mppng hlps t ndrstnd whch rs r th mst vlnrbl. Mppng cn ls hlp t cmmnct clmt vlnrblty t stkhldrs. t s sfl t crry t vlnrblty ssssmnts n dvnc f prprng lcl clmt dpttn plns r rsk mngmnt plns. Glbl vlnrblty ssssmnts s sptl mppng wth ggrgtd dt fr th rgnl r ntnl lvl.: 1195–1199