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Livelihood vulnerability assessment and climate change perception analysis in Arunachal Pradesh, India

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Abstract

Climate change induced frequent disasters pose severe threats to agro-based rural livelihoods. Perceptions of risks play a critical role in planning and averting disasters. Lack of analytical documentation concerning how vulnerable communities perceive climate risks is a barrier to addressing and averting disasters and maladaptation. Applying a mixed approach, this study examines the perception of households concerning climate change and analyses the impacts of climate change on livelihood in Arunachal Pradesh, the largest northeastern state of India, with severe climate related challenges. Conceptual livelihood vulnerability index (LVI) framework of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is adopted to analyse the climate change induced vulnerability on livelihood. A total 450 households from 18 villages located in the districts of Arunachal Pradesh were surveyed during October, 2021 for retrieving the ground complexities in the region. Decrease in yields, frequent landslides and floods, livestock losses and unpredictable weather condition were perceived by the sampled households. The LVI analysis indicated that households are vulnerable in Arzoo, Perum, Pekong and Amliang villages requiring priority for lessening livelihood vulnerability and increasing coping capacity of the communities. Correlation analysis indicated that climate variability, natural disaster, health, food and social components attributed to livelihood vulnerability in the study area. Alternate livelihood, enhancing preparedness to disasters, inclusion of women in workforce, sustainable livelihood practices and government assistance are some of the suggestions made to enhance the adaptation of local communities in a sustainable way.

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Fig. 1

Source: Prepared by authors in ArcGIS v.10.7.1

Fig. 2

Source: Authors

Fig. 3

Source: Based on field sampling

Fig. 4

Source: Based on field sampling

Fig. 5

Source: Based on LVI analysis

Fig. 6

Source: Prepared by authors based on LVI assessment

Fig. 7

Source: Based on LVI analysis

Fig. 8

Source: Author analysis

Fig. 9

Source: Based on respondents’ perception

Fig. 10

Source: Fieldwork

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Data availability

The data used in this study for analysis was generated through household survey during the fieldwork of the project which can be made available on request of the corresponding author. International ethical standards are followed in handling the survey data and anonymised to protect the identity of the households surveyed.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge that this research was funded by Indian Council of Social Sciences Research, Ministry of Education, Government of India, under the Impactful Policy Research in Social Sciences Grant F. No. IMPRESS/P765/422/2018-19/ICSSR. The Sponsor, however, had no role in framing the research objective, data collection or interpretation and outcome of the findings.

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  1. Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal, Mangalore, D.K, India

    Sufia Rehman, Adani Azhoni & Pooja H. Chabbi

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  1. Sufia Rehman
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Rehman, S., Azhoni, A. & Chabbi, P.H. Livelihood vulnerability assessment and climate change perception analysis in Arunachal Pradesh, India. GeoJournal 88, 1427–1447 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-022-10703-7

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