District-level analysis of climate vulnerability and household nutrition status among rural communities in Odisha, India

Abstract

Good nutrition is the foundation of human well-being that leads to better health, effective engagement of the workforce, and productive lifestyle, resulting in higher income and an integrated development trajectory. This paper attempts to comprehend the impact of climate vulnerability on household nutrition status through agriculture production systems in Odisha, India. This study using secondary data estimates a composite index of climate vulnerability on the agriculture ecosystem in Odisha at the district scale. Results suggest that among all the districts in Odisha, Bhadrak (0.193) is the most vulnerable district followed by Sonepur (0.191) and Baudh (0.190). On the other hand, Mayurbhanj (0.099) is the least vulnerable district followed by Ganjam (0.103) and Sundargarh (0.105). The fi ndings also suggest that there is a wide variation in vulnerability indicators among the districts in Odisha (0.099 – the lowest district value vs. 0.193 – the highest). The results of multivariate analysis evince that in households (both women and children) nutritional status, the composite value of “climate vulnerability” has a greater role in predicting the predictors in Odisha through the agriculture production system. The climate vulnerability has a positive and signifi cant relationship with forest area (r=0.403*), gross cropped area (r=0.489**), percent of scheduled caste population (r=0.510**), percent of urban area (r=0.427*), and per-capita income (r=0.712**). The fi ndings also signify that district-wise gross cropped area (t=3.01), average annual rainfall (t=4.05), area under irrigation (t=3.36), cropping intensity (t=3.60), and forest areas (t=1.81) play a more predictive role to determine the household nutritional status along with socioeconomic and health factors such as per-capita income (t=1.8), urbanization (t=1.91), and women’s anemic status (t=2.74). Drawing inferences from the empirical evidence, the study suggests that climate vulnerability has a much greater role in influencing household nutrition status, particularly with women and child nutrition through the agriculture production system. Appropriate policy level measures for climate-sensitive and adaptive action are the need of the hour to make agriculture production ecosystem contributes positively to nutrition status.