An indicator-based approach to assess farm households’ vulnerability to climate change: evidence from Odisha, India

Abstract

The study aims to assess farmers’ vulnerability to climate change using indicator based approach in order to highlight important factors such as demographic, social and health factors contributing to vulnerability of agriculture to climatic variability and climate change in both irrigated and rain-fed regions of the state. Vulnerability analysis was done using three different composite indices such as: Livelihood Vulnerability Index, Livelihood Vulnerability Index of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and Livelihood Effect Index. Based on results, the study found that water component has the largest contribution to the vulnerability of the farmers’ community in Bolangir district where as the Natural disaster and climate vulnerability has the largest contribution to the vulnerability of the farmers’ community in Cuttack district. High exposure and a relatively low adaptive capacity are significant factors that cause the farm household to be more sensitive to climate variability and climate change.