An Assessment of Vulnerability
of Livestock Farming to Climate
Variability
G. Letha Devi, Dhirendra Varma and Mukund A. Kataktalware
Abstract The livelihood vulnerability index (LVI) was developed to estimate
climate change vulnerability in the Chitradurga and Kolar Districts of Karnataka,
India. 120 households were surveyed, each district collected data on
socio-demographics, livelihoods, social networks, health, food and water security,
natural disasters and climate variability. Data were aggregated using a composite
index and differential vulnerabilities were compared. Results suggest that
Chitradurga may be more vulnerable in terms of water resources, while Kolar may
be more vulnerable in terms of socio-demographic structure. This pragmatic
approach may be used to monitor vulnerability, program resources for assistance,
and/or evaluate potential program/policy effectiveness in data-scarce regions by
introducing scenarios into the LVI model for baseline comparison.
1 Introduction
Fallout of climate change on environment, social ecology and livelihood need
serious attention. It threatens to deepen vulnerabilities, erode hard own gains and
seriously undermine prospects of sustainable development. Vulnerability to climate
change varies across regions, sectors and social groups. Understanding the regional
and local dimensions of vulnerability is essential to develop appropriate and targeted adaptation efforts. We must recognize that climate change impacts will not be
felt in isolation, but in context of multiple stresses.
G. Letha Devi (&)
National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bangalore 560 030, India
e-mail: lethaayur@gmail.com
D. Varma
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
M.A. Kataktalware
Southern Regional Station, National Dairy Research Institute, Bangalore 560 030, India
e-mail: mtalware@gmail.com
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016
S. Nautiyal et al. (eds.), Climate Change Challenge (3C)
and Social-Economic-Ecological Interface-Building, Environmental Science,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-31014-5_26
429
of Livestock Farming to Climate
Variability
G. Letha Devi, Dhirendra Varma and Mukund A. Kataktalware
Abstract The livelihood vulnerability index (LVI) was developed to estimate
climate change vulnerability in the Chitradurga and Kolar Districts of Karnataka,
India. 120 households were surveyed, each district collected data on
socio-demographics, livelihoods, social networks, health, food and water security,
natural disasters and climate variability. Data were aggregated using a composite
index and differential vulnerabilities were compared. Results suggest that
Chitradurga may be more vulnerable in terms of water resources, while Kolar may
be more vulnerable in terms of socio-demographic structure. This pragmatic
approach may be used to monitor vulnerability, program resources for assistance,
and/or evaluate potential program/policy effectiveness in data-scarce regions by
introducing scenarios into the LVI model for baseline comparison.
1 Introduction
Fallout of climate change on environment, social ecology and livelihood need
serious attention. It threatens to deepen vulnerabilities, erode hard own gains and
seriously undermine prospects of sustainable development. Vulnerability to climate
change varies across regions, sectors and social groups. Understanding the regional
and local dimensions of vulnerability is essential to develop appropriate and targeted adaptation efforts. We must recognize that climate change impacts will not be
felt in isolation, but in context of multiple stresses.
G. Letha Devi (&)
National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bangalore 560 030, India
e-mail: lethaayur@gmail.com
D. Varma
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
M.A. Kataktalware
Southern Regional Station, National Dairy Research Institute, Bangalore 560 030, India
e-mail: mtalware@gmail.com
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016
S. Nautiyal et al. (eds.), Climate Change Challenge (3C)
and Social-Economic-Ecological Interface-Building, Environmental Science,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-31014-5_26
429