Anglo American’s commitment to Inclusion and Diversity is founded on the principles of equality, non-discrimination and respect for human rights. We have a responsibility to identify and engage with vulnerable stakeholders to:

• ensure the voices of all potentially affected stakeholders are heard
• safeguard those less able to deal with potential site-related impacts
• design and deliver SED projects that reflect everyone’s needs and concerns.

Vulnerability is context-specific. While there are factors that are more likely to make individuals or groups vulnerable (e.g. age, gender, health, social status, sexual orientation), they are not absolute determinants. An elderly woman is not vulnerable simply by virtue of being old or female.

Vulnerability depends on a number of factors, including the applicable legal framework, societal or community customs and traditions, socio-economic or environmental conditions, and the provision of public services and infrastructure.

Identification of vulnerability is a multi-layered process. As part of social performance review and planning, every five years, sites are required to identify, first; systemic vulnerability, and, subsequently; site-related vulnerability (see Box 2.7). This should be reviewed and updated if needed on an annual basis.

BOX 2.7 Definition of site-related vulnerability

Vulnerability is the accepted term for the sensitivity of the society, communities, and households to positive and negative impacts and changes.

Vulnerable communities, groups, or individuals may be:

• Excluded or inhibited from meaningful participation in sites’ engagement and decision-making processes. Assessed in Section 3A – Stakeholder Engagement.
• Less likely to be able to cope with potential adverse impacts and manage changes caused by a site. Assessed in Section 3C – Social and Human Rights Impact and Risk Assessment, and Section 4A.
• Less able to take advantage of the opportunities and benefits a site provides.

Systemic vulnerability refers to communities, sub-groups or individuals with a reduced or compromised ability to realise or maintain a sustainable livelihood¹.

BOX 2.8 Definition of 'sustainable livelihood'

A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets and activities required for a means of living.

A livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with or 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.

It describes a pre-existing condition unrelated to a site’s presence, impacts, or activities.

Table 2.2 provides a framework for assessing a community’s systemic vulnerability. Systemic vulnerability is assessed by looking at the availability of and accessibility to each of the five individual Capitals, for each community in the Area of Influence and sub-groups within the community that stand out compared to the average vulnerability at the community level. For example, the list of sub-groups should include those with particularly low levels of capital. The objective is to understand how vulnerable the affected communities in the Area of Influence are and identify the ‘most vulnerable’ sub-groups within the affected communities.

Systemic vulnerability should be rated at the community level and for the identified sub-groups. Rating categories for systemic vulnerability are defined in Box 2.9 below. Their definitions are context-specific and based on regional and national norms.

BOX 2.9 - Systemic vulnerability rating

Systemic vulnerability rating	Definitions
Major	Extreme levels of vulnerability across the community. Community is unable to manage almost any change Sub-group’s livelihood and well-being are not sustainable
High	Profound multiple levels of vulnerability within a community undermining its ability to change Sub-group’s livelihood and well-being are barely sustainable
Moderate	A few areas of vulnerability. Community retains an ability to, at least in part, adapt to changes and opportunities Sub-group’s livelihood and wellbeing sustainability are compromised but manageable
Minor	Minimal areas of vulnerability and, consequently, the community has a high ability to adapt to change Sub-group’s livelihood and well-being are sustainable and not compromised
Insignificant	Minimal vulnerability. The community or sub-group has a very high ability to adapt to changes and maximise opportunities

TABLE 2.2 - Systemic vulnerability assessment

Capital	Definition/Aspects of Capital needed to realise or maintain a sustainable livelihood	Factors that may contribute to a reduced or compromised ability to realise or maintain a sustainable livelihood	Community A	Community n
Economic Capital	A diversity of livelihoods, productivity and legality of livelihoods, adequate levels of subsistence activities, income generation, loans, credit, savings or other financial support	Unemployment; limited access to alternative employment; high levels of poverty; dependence on natural resources; reliance on/unsustainability of and/or fragility of principal livelihood, low levels of income (in relation to expenditure), low productivity of livelihoods, limited access to savings, loans, banking, financial support	At community level: Short description and list of the aspects of Economic Capital and ‘reduced ability’ Factors in Community A, supported by statistics where possible At sub-group level: Describe and list sub-groups of the population in Community A with particularly high ‘reduced ability’ Factors, supported by statistics where possible	At community level: Short description and list of the aspects of Economic Capital and ‘reduced ability’ Factors in Community n, supported by statistics where possible. At sub-group level: Describe and list sub-groups of the population in Community n with particularly high ‘reduced ability’ Factors, supported by statistics where possible
Social Capital	Fair policing and security, freedom from violence and conflict, protection of human rights, access to justice, ability to participate in political, economic and social systems, ability to participate in community decision-making, ability to provide leadership, strong social networks and connectedness.	Weak, failing or discriminatory institutions; individual or group discrimination or harassment; pressure on political opposition; ethnic tensions; bribery and corruption; human rights abuses; inequitable land ownership; repressive or weak provision of security; inequitable access to justice; restricted rights of association; governance system not recognised formally; subject to violence, conflict, crime; repressive or weak provision of security; restricted participation in political, economic and social systems; restricted participation in community/public decision-making; high levels of domestic and gender-based violence; low levels of community trust and social cohesion; and absence of support networks; discriminatory traditional customs; presence of social ills.	At community level: Short description and list of the aspects of Political Capital and ‘reduced ability’ Factors in Community A, supported by statistics where possible At sub-group level: Describe and list sub-groups of the population in Community A with particularly high ‘reduced ability’ Factors, supported by statistics where possible	At community level: Short description and list of the aspects of Political Capital and ‘reduced ability’ Factors in Community n, supported by statistics where possible At sub-group level: Describe and list sub-groups of the population in Community n with particularly high ‘reduced ability’ Factors, supported by statistics where possible
Human Capital	Knowledge and skills, level of education and health and nutritional status, the ability to work and maintain good health	Levels of health, including chronic illness, communicable or infectious diseases; poor sanitation and hygiene; disability and mental health problems; presence of crime, criminal gangs; levels of education including low literacy and numeracy rates; low attainment of secondary and tertiary education; low diversity of skills; limited knowledge of or experience of working in the formal sector; limited knowledge or experience of dealing with formal processes or institutions e.g. government, legal, business.	At community level: Short description and list of the aspects of Social Capital and ‘reduced ability’ Factors in Community A, supported by statistics where possible At sub-group level: Describe and list sub-groups of the population in Community A with particularly high ‘reduced ability’ Factors, supported by statistics where possible	At community level: Short description and list of the aspects of Social Capital and ‘reduced ability’ Factors in Community n, supported by statistics where possible At sub-group level: Describe and list sub-groups of the population in Community n with particularly high ‘reduced ability’ Factors, supported by statistics where possible
Physical Capital	Public services and infrastructure (education, health care, energy, water, transport), recreational facilities and household goods and equipment	Limited availability of public services and/or infrastructure; limited accessibility of public services and/or infrastructure; limited affordability of public services and/or infrastructure; limited private ownership of transportation and household goods and equipment	At community level: Short description and list of the aspects of Physical Capital and ‘reduced ability’ Factors in Community A, supported by statistics where possible At sub-group level: Describe and list sub-groups of the population in Community A with particularly high ‘reduced ability’ Factors, supported by statistics where possible	At community level: Short description and list of the aspects of Physical Capital and ‘reduced ability’ Factors in Community n, supported by statistics where possible At sub-group level: Describe and list sub-groups of the population in Community n with particularly high ‘reduced ability’ Factors, supported by statistics where possible
Natural Capital	Clean air and water, timber and non-timber forest products, land, pasture, biodiversity, etc.	High air/water pollution; reliance on degraded water bodies; high rates of deforestation; construction on arable land; land degradation; loss of biodiversity	At community level: Short description and list of the aspects of Natural Capital and ‘reduced ability’ Factors in Community A, supported by statistics where possible At sub-group level: Describe and list sub-groups of the population in Community A with particularly high ‘reduced ability’ Factors, supported by statistics where possible	At community level: Short description and list of the aspects of Natural Capital and ‘reduced ability’ Factors in Community n, supported by statistics where possible At sub-group level: Describe and list sub-groups of the population in Community n with particularly high ‘reduced ability’ Factors, supported by statistics where possible
Systemic vulnerability rating			At community level: insert the overall systemic vulnerability rating for the community, based on an average of the levels of Capital, using the systemic vulnerability rating definitions At sub-group level: list and insert the overall systemic vulnerability rating for sub-groups in the community that have a higher systemic vulnerability rating than the community as a whole, based on an amalgamation of the levels of Capital, using the systemic vulnerability rating definitions	At community level: insert the overall systemic vulnerability rating for the community, based on an average of the levels of Capital, using the systemic vulnerability rating definitions At sub-group level: list and insert the overall systemic vulnerability rating for sub-groups in the community that have a higher systemic vulnerability rating than the community as a whole, based on an amalgamation of the levels of Capital, using the systemic vulnerability rating definitions

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¹ Department for International Development (DFID) (2001) Sustainable livelihoods guidance sheets. Available at: http://www.livelihoodscentre.org/documents/20720/100145/Sustainable+livelihoods+guidance+sheets/8f35b59f-8207-43fc-8b99-df75d3000e86 (Accessed: December 2019)