Why do people live in vulnerable areas?

Living in marginal zones is a risky way to live, but many people make livelihoods and depend on areas that to us, may seem extremely dangerous. Vulnerability can be defined as the inability to cope with an event or be resilient from something. People are vulnerable if they live in areas prone to tectonic events, meteorological events or on land that may be deemed unsafe due to environmental concerns or even political and social issues. Explanations as to why people live in these areas may stem from unaffordable rents elsewhere or a particular attachment to an area; this may be emotional or due to a particular crop being available to farm easily for example. An example of vulnerable places to live are on floodplains. Over 100 million people live on floodplains in Bangladesh, putting them at risk from flooding and losing their homes. However they rely upon this land for the growth of crops, such as rice and so the risk of flooding becomes less important. People's vulnerability in an area is combatted by their ability to move elsewhere or to gain a livelihood, meaning many people remain in risky locations as they have no other choice.