Mapping of Climate Change Impact through the Climate Vulnerability Index in India

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.