The extraordinary and the everyday in explanations of vulnerability to an oil spill

Losses from an oil spill in 1992 differed substantially among coastal resou rce users on the Malaysian island of Langkawi. Even among the small-scale f ishers, those generally considered to be the most vulnerable to such an eve nt,losses varied significantly. This investigation of vulnerability examine s causes for the distribution of losses, including fishers' ability to medi ate their exposure to risks and the variety of coping strategies they adopt ed. Explanations for differences in vulnerability are found both in the eve ryday interactions of processes shaping vulnerability and in the ways in wh ich the "extraordinary" circumstances of a disaster alter those everyday pr ocesses.