Human Security

Andrew Collins

Overview

Varying ways of presenting human security through:

Primary subsistence

Basic and extended human needs

Absence of poverty

All of the above + Safety

A more formalised terminology emerges 1990s.

United Nations context, also in academia

Human Security Report and other references

An in depth look at human security informs sustainable development

and disaster management theory, policy and practice

Primary
Subsistenc
e
Food

Water

Sanitation

Shelter

Fuel

Basic and extended human

needs

Maslows Hierarchy of Needs

Poverty

Need to think carefully as to what is meant

by poverty
What really lies behind poverty?
Rhetoric and reality of poverty care
therefore also needed in identifying
vulnerability, resilience, social inclusion
and related concepts
Poverty indicators are needed if doing
poverty assessment how do we measure
poverty? (next 5 slides)
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Poverty alleviation approaches derive
from

Evaluating poverty
1 Based on material objective
classification

2 Based on less-material (possibly more

subjective) classifications

Less material poverty

indicators

i.e. Human vulnerability can be difficult to

quantify.

Social connectivity

Inclusion

Independence

Freedom of choice

Security

Measuring poverty

Income based measures - absolute

and relative well-being. SDGs =
poverty reduction based on US$1.25
per day indicator
Non-income based measures - basic
needs approach
Capability perspectives abilities,
access and rights emphases
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Measuring Poverty: examples of macro

composite indices:
Human development index - UNDP
life expectancy
educational attainment
GDP per capita
Human poverty index - UNDP
percentage of people expected to die before age 40
percentage of illiterate adults
percentage of people without access to health
services and safe water
percentage of under-weight children under five
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Capability poverty measure

Is variously included or implicit in UNDP Annual Reports in
since 1997
Lack of the capability to be well nourished and healthyrepresented by the proportion of mal-nourished under five
children.

Capability for healthy reproduction-proxied by the proportion

of births unattended by trained health personnel.

The capability to be educated and knowledgeablerepresented by female illiteracy.

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OECD (2001) on capability

Defining poverty through the core dimension
of capability:
Economic Capability

These are the capacity and right to earn an

income, consume and have assets. They
are key to food security, material well-being
and social status, and may include those
associated with decent employment, land,
implements and animals, forests and
fishing waters, and credit.
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OECD (2001) on capability

Human capabilities

These are based on health,

education, nutrition, clean water and
shelter. Ill-health and lack of
education are barriers to productive
livelihoods and therefore to poverty
reduction.

Political capabilities

These include human rights,

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representation and influence over

OECD (2001) on capability

Socio-cultural capabilities

These concern the ability to participate as

a valued member of a community. They
include social status, dignity and ability to
be included.

Protective capabilities

These enable people to withstand

economic and external shocks, to be
resilient when confronted with external
stresses. Insecurity and vulnerability work
together as focal aspects of poverty.
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Poverty and the Fragile

Environments
Environmental degradation and poverty as cyclical.
Those closely dependent on natural resources
affected more.
Population change in environmentally fragile areas:
i) high birth rates
ii) migrations
iii) forced population displacement and entrapments.
Impoverished people in fragile environments.
Change in common access regimes and landlessness
and demand for environmental justice and good
governance.
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Achieving Human Security Demands an

Integrated Approach to Disaster
Management and Sustainable Development

Figure 2.2 Generalised hypothesis on

the link between poverty and
environmental degradation
Figure 2.3 An integrated poverty and
environment view of humanitarian
disasters
Figure 2.4 Idealised reversal of
poverty, environment and disasters
processes
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Recovery is about turning

negative processes positive

Critical Findings for Application in D &

D

For Example: A Human

Environmental Link
Poverty

Environmental
Degradation

Figure: Generalised hypothesis on the link between poverty and environmental degrada

Poverty
income
basic needs
capabilities

Marginalisation
Dependent on:
- Gender, Age, (Dis)ability,
Location, Civil rights and
representation

Humanitarian
Disaster

Conflict

Major or Rapid
Environmental Event

Environmental Change
economic
physical
social (includes
culture, faith and
behaviour)

An integrated poverty and environment view of humanitarian

Source: Collins, A.E. (2009) Disaster and Development,

Wealth and
Wellbeing
-

Inclusion and Reduced

Vulnerability
Respecting of:
- Gender, Age, (Dis)ability,
Location, Rights and
representation

income
basic and
extended needs
capabilities

Disaster
Reduction
- risk management
- emergency
preparedness
- resilience,
capacity and
coping

Conflict
Mitigation

Environmental Change
- economic stability
- environmental sustainability
- social cohesion and security

Idealised reversal of poverty,

environment
and
disasters
Source: Collins,
A.E. (2009) Disaster and
Development,

Sustainable livelihoods approach to

Human Security an example of a people
centred approach to sustainable
development
(overlaps with aspects of community
based disaster risk reduction)

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Sustainable Livelihoods
A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets
and activities required for a means of living. A
livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with
and recover from stresses and shocks and
maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets
both now and in the future, while not undermining
the natural resource base.

Department for International Development (DfID 2000 p.1)

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Household Sustainable Development

Livelihood Assets
(Capital assets that contribute to human security)

Human capital

Social capital

Natural capital

Physical capital

Financial capital

(political capital)

Human capital

The skills, knowledge, ability to labour and

good health that together enable people to
pursue different livelihood strategies and
achieve their livelihood objectives.

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Natural capital

Natural resource stocks from which resource

flows and services (nutrient cycling, erosion
protection) useful for livelihoods are derived. Land,
forests, marine/wild resources, water, air quality,
erosion protection, waste assimilation, storm
protection, biodiversity access to these and
quality, and how both are changing.

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Physical capital
The basic infrastructure and producer
goods needed to support livelihoods. More
essential components are affordable
transport, secure shelter and buildings,
adequate water supply and sanitation, clean
and affordable energy, and access to
information (communications).

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Financial capital
The financial resources that people use to
achieve their livelihood objectives. Available
savings and regular inflow of money.

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Social capital

Networks and connectedness between

individuals with shared interests.
Membership of more formalised groups.
Relationships of trust, reciprocity and
exchanges.

i.e. Its not just about what you know, but

who you know.
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Strengthened Community
iii) Security Context:
Environmental, Political,
Economic, Climatic, Military
Shocks and Trends

ii) Increasing capacity,

rights, representation,
access to resources,
empowerment and
H
S
wealth

i)
Livelihoo
d
Assets

Source: Collins, A. E. (2009)

Disaster and Development,

Po
l

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H Human
capital
S Social capital
N Natural
capital
Pol Political

Weakened Community
ii) Increasing displacement, abuse,
denied access to resources, loss of a
voice or representation, vulnerability
H and povertyS

iii)
Livelihood
Assets

Source: Collins, A. E. (2009)

Disaster and Development,

i) Security Context:
Environmental, Political,
Economic, Climatic,
Military Shocks and
Trends

Pol

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Livelihood security and responsible well-being

Chambers, R. (1997)
Whose Reality Counts?
Putting the first last.
Intermediate Technology
Publications. p.10

32

From integrated vulnerability to integrated

wellbeing
Health:

Biological Susceptibility:
- malnourishment
- exposure to hazardous
environments and pathogens
- lack of medicine and health care

- nutrition
- water, sanitation and clean
air, pathogen avoidance and
control
- shelter and energy
- health care and longevity

Wellbeing
Vulnerability
Resilience:

Mental Impairment:
- lack of education
- loss of skills, ideas
and options
- entrapment and
dependency
- cultural isolation

- coping
- capacity
- adaptability and
Insecurity:
creativity
- displacement - social, economic
- abuse
cultural capital
- denied access to
resources
- lack of a voice or
representation

Human Security:
- rights
- access to resources
- representation
- empowerment

Collins, A.E. (2009) Disaster and

Development, Routledge, p. 261.

Human Security depends on Health

Security

Ban Ki Moon 26th September, 2015

Towards a Conclusion

The concept and issue of Human

Security is fundamental to disaster
and development studies.
There are varied emphases of Human
Security.
Rather than represent a weakness in
its conceptual development, the
mixed interpretations of HS open the
door to more in depth identification

Next Step
Note: Throughout much of the above
analysis of human security we have
encountered issues of human rights
(and responsibilities).

To this end we need to address a

Rights Based Approach to
Development next session.