GIS/Technologies and Socio-Natural Vulnerability:

Abstract

From a selected body of publications in English, this essay explores the GIS/technologies- vulnerability relationship in order to contribute to geographical research focused on the Andes. After a brief description of the space and climatic problematic that is related to it, the articulation of these with a concept of vulnerability that has been developed throughout the current century and the analysis of case studies that research the Andean geographical system are presented. The article concludes that, within the frame of the impacts that climate change has been generating, these advances pay the way and call for the execution of comprehensive studies on vulnerability on the Andes that consider simultaneously the social, the natural and the specific space of study being investigated. Resources in terms of geospatial, conceptual, of scales and outcomes here presented can help to guide and serve as inputs in research related with the treated topic.

Keywords

• Andes
• geographical information systems
• vulnerability
• human geography
• physical geography
• mountain research