Climate Vulnerability and Adaption Assessment in Bundelkhand Region, India

• Published in: Sustainable Development Practices Using Geoinformatics pp. 205 - 214
• Main Authors: Prakash, Prem, Mishra, Prabuddh Kumar
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: United States John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated 2020; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: adaptation; capacity; Climate; exposure; livelihood; vulnerability
• ISBN: 9781119687115; 111968711X
• DOI: 10.1002/9781119687160.ch13

In Central India, the regional climate model projections indicate that there are possible changes in future weather patterns. These changes will significantly affect climate‐sensitive agriculture, water, and health sectors in the entire region. Development deficit and widespread reliance on agriculture as a source of nourishment and income make Bundelkhand region particularly vulnerable to changes in the climate. Due to exposure to variable climatic conditions, Bundelkhand region has high physical vulnerability. The region is largely rainfed with variable trend of precipitation. Drought like conditions is very frequent in this region, which leads to unstable socio‐economic conditions. Monsoon remains a critical determinant of the sowing time, which has been varying drastically in the past few years, causing significant loss to the farmers due to lack of correct and timely information. For vulnerability assessment in the region, Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) evaluated and reviewed. The present study attempts to apply LVI for a comprehensive evaluation of the livelihood risks of the vulnerable communities posed by climate change. The local rapid assessment needs of the present study this methodology is most suitable. It takes into account the socio‐economic vulnerabilities of the region using IPCC's three contributing factors to vulnerability: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. The results of the study show that livelihood options in the region is limited and primarily based on agriculture and labor sector. Due to high reliance on primary sector for the livelihood, the communities in the region are highly vulnerable due to changing climatic conditions.