Mapping of Climate Change Impact through the Climate Vulnerability Index in India
Meera Padaliya *
Department of Agricultural Economics, N. M. College of Agriculture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari – 396 450, India.
Alpesh Leua
Department of Social Science, ASPEE College of Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari – 396 450, India.
Umang B. Patel
Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture, Madhav University, Abu Road, Pindwara, Rajasthan – 307 026, India.
Savan Padaliya
Indian Institute of Sustainability, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad – 380 009, India.
Vishwa Gohil
Department of Agricultural Statistics, N. M. College of Agriculture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari – 396 450, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
India has a diverse range of climates and agro-ecosystems, making it necessary to identify the country's most vulnerable states to the climate change. This study analyses the Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) comprising both crop and dairy indicators for 18 states of India. The study used PCA method to compute the weight of the selected variables. The computation of index was based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) approach. The state-wise vulnerability indices were calculated and categorized as Exposure Index (EI), Sensitivity Index (SI), Adaptive Capacity Index (ACI) and overall Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI). The states were classified as high, moderate and less vulnerable on the basis of magnitude of the index. Tamil Nadu has the highest exposure index to climate (0.84) and the lowest was in Odisha (0.26). In case of sensitivity, the highest was in Bihar (0.79), while the lowest was in Punjab (0.17). The highest adaptive capacity was observed in West Bengal (0.52) and the lowest was in Odisha (0.20). Overall, CVI was highest in Tamil Nadu (0.71) and lowest in Punjab (0.42). In light of the identified vulnerabilities and the potential impact of extreme climatic events, it is imperative to develop location-specific contingency planning to effectively address and mitigate the challenges anticipated in the near future.
Keywords: Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), exposure, sensitivity, adaptive capacity, IPCC approach, climate change