Assessing household level climate change induced livelihood vulnerability of rural workers using IPCC approach: evidence from Dimapur district, India

Climate change has posed significant challenges to the rural communities and made their livelihood vulnerable globally. Limited studies have been conducted on climate change induced livelihood vulnerability especially for all rural workers. Thus, the main aim of this study is to examine livelihood vulnerability of rural workers in Dimapur district in India using IPCC approach. Livelihood vulnerability index (LVI) of all rural workers as a composite index was constructed by integrating its three components of exposure, sensitivity and adaptative capacity. The data on various indicators of components of LVI was collected from 480 rural households selected through stratified random sampling technique. LVI-IPCC based analysis revealed that the agricultural laborers had the highest livelihood vulnerability followed by cultivators, household industry workers and other workers. Exposure and sensitivity affected livelihood vulnerability of agricultural laborers and household industry workers while adaptive capacity influenced livelihood vulnerability of cultivators and other workers. The study calls policy interventions for addressing socio-economic disparities and enhancing adaptive capacity incorporating diversification of agriculture, early warning system, drinking water facilities, institutional credit and ecosystem services for reducing livelihood vulnerability. We argue that the other geographical regions interested in examining livelihood vulnerability among rural workers at household level may utilize LVI-IPCC approach effectively.