Climate Change Vulnerability of Marginal and Small Farmers in Nuapada District, Odisha
This study attempts to measure the level of livelihood vulnerability of farmers to climate change in Nuapada. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used based on primary and secondary data. The study found that marginal and small farmers in the study area have different differential livelihood vulnerability to climate change. The study has used composite approach in which seven dimensions including 34 indicators were studied. Composite of factors such as low level of education, lack of access to credit, lack of access to critical irrigation were associated with the relatively higher Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) values. The multiple linear regression analysis revealed that seven socio-economic variables account for 44% of variation in livelihood vulnerability index; three variables among them viz. number of household income sources, landholding size and highest level of education in household were found to have significant impact on LVI. The findings of the study conclude that there is differential vulnerability to climate change in the same context which was mostly determined by various socioeconomic factors. Thus climate change related studies and policies (which mostly limit district as the measuring unit) must expand their scope to understand and act on differential vulnerabilities in the same district.