Vulnerability and Adaptation to Natural Disasters and Climate Change: Evidences from Rural Odisha, India

With respect to developing countries, it is observed that climate change poses a serious threat to economic growth and impediment to the poverty reduction programmes undertaken in these countries for the upliftment of the vulnerable households. It can also have a major impact on issue of food security which is highly dependent on climate sensitive parameters. Evidences from preliminary assessments also reveal that the severity of droughts and intensity of floods in various parts of India might increase due to climate change. The present paper attempts to study the vulnerability of rural households in a disaster prone region of India and study the mechanisms undertaken by these household to adapt to the risks faced to their consumption pattern. We use random effects panel data model to understand the risks to the consumption practices of households and the adaptation mechanism followed by them. The results suggest that income from livestock assets emerged as major adaptation strategy with respect to reducing the fluctuations in consumption by the household in the study area.