Dr Timothy Pittaway is a South African-born researcher based in Scotland, focusing on the study of transitional vulnerability, the fragile yet transformative phase that communities, organisations, and environments experience during periods of change.
Having grown up in complex and evolving social and environmental contexts, I am deeply fascinated by how people and places navigate these transitions, adapt to uncertainty, and build resilience for the future. My work blends academic rigour with lived experience, exploring the interplay between risk, resilience, and opportunity across diverse settings.
Why Transitional Vulnerability Matters
- Adaptation under uncertainty – Plan for climate, economic, and policy shifts.
- Resilience building – Strengthen communities, nature and organisations for the long term.
- Informed decision-making – Use evidence-based approaches to manage risk.
What are Transitional Vulnerabilities
Transitional vulnerabilities refer to the heightened risks and challenges that individuals, communities, organisations, and systems face during periods of significant change or transition. These vulnerabilities emerge when shifts in environmental conditions, economic structures, technological landscapes, or social and political frameworks disrupt established systems.
- Temporal exposure – Risks that arise specifically during periods of change between established states
- Systemic susceptibility – Weaknesses that become apparent when systems are under pressure to transform
- Adaptation gaps – Disparities between the rate of change and the capacity to respond effectively
Transitional vulnerabilities often manifest in complex, interconnected ways across multiple domains, requiring integrated approaches to assessment, management, and mitigation. Understanding these vulnerabilities is essential for developing robust strategies that can guide successful transitions while minimising negative impacts on stakeholders.
Change that creates vulnerability
Transitional vulnerability can mean that the process of change itself produces new or intensified risks. For example, a nature-based solution that reconfigures access, land rights, or labour can temporarily increase insecurity, conflict, or exclusion for particular groups even while aiming to reduce climate risk overall. In that sense, change creates vulnerability due to power relations, unequal benefits, and who is exposed during implementation.
Vulnerability that shifts as environments change
It can also mean that existing vulnerabilities are redistributed as ecological and social conditions evolve. As habitats, jobs, or services move or transform, some groups, species, or places may become less vulnerable while others become newly exposed or more sensitive. This is especially visible where global or regional transitions cascade into local communities through markets, governance, and ecosystem feedback.