To see why barriers make a difference, consider a common disaster risk formula:
Disaster Risk = Hazard × Vulnerability ÷ Capacity.
- Hazard is the event itself (a flood, typhoon, earthquake, etc.).
- Vulnerability covers conditions that increase harm – such as poverty, weak buildings, discrimination, and the barriers discussed above.
- Capacity is our ability to cope – the resources, skills and support systems we have (like early warning systems, evacuation drills, medical care, and community networks).
This means: if a person lives in an exposed location and faces extra barriers (higher vulnerability), their risk is much higher. But if we increase capacity – by building accessible infrastructure, providing multilingual alerts, training local responders, or empowering communities – we divide that risk. For example, a sturdy ramp and an accessible shelter (capacity) can prevent a flood (hazard) from turning deadly for someone who would otherwise be stranded. The key lesson is: we reduce risk by fixing the environment, not the person. In practice, making an evacuation route barrier-free or adding a sign-language interpreter saves lives.