Vulnerability assessment of rural households to climate change using livelihood vulnerability framework approach in the trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh, India

Abstract

This study examines the vulnerability of rural households to climate change impacts in the Trans-Himalayan region of Leh district, India, using the IPCC livelihood vulnerability framework and a composite index approach. A total of 464 households across 12 villages were surveyed, with sampling based on village size and geographic location. The study aimed to assess how rural communities are coping with climate-related challenges such as flash floods, water shortages, and extreme weather events. The overall vulnerability index of rural households was 0.445, on a scale from 0 (least vulnerable) to 1 (most vulnerable). The exposure index was high at 0.784, indicating that households are highly exposed to climate change impacts. The adaptive capacity was lower at 0.360, and the sensitivity index was 0.220, suggesting that while exposure to climate risks is significant, the communities have limited ability to adapt. This study analyses the spatially distributed vulnerability to climate change within rural households located in the Ladakh region in India, over the Trans-Himalayan landscapes. The proposed research approach involving the integration of the IPCC framework on livelihood vulnerabilities with spatial mappings could lead toward actionable insights and geographic disparities for vulnerability. Adaptation strategies based on the observed findings can better inform policymaking as the needs for increasing resilience grow more demanding in these scarce resource regions in high altitudes.