Climate Change and Farmer Livelihoods in Wayanad, India: A Livelihood Vulnerability Index Assessment

Abstract. This study investigates the intricate relationship between climate change and livelihood vulnerability in the Wayanad district of Kerala, employing a Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) to assess the household-level vulnerability of local farmers. A total of 41 indicators were used to construct the vulnerability index for the farmers of the Western Ghat region, with 16 indicators related to sensitivity, 7 to exposure, and 18 to adaptive capacity, and the index is administered to the farmers of Wayanad, Kerala. The results indicate a high level of vulnerability among most farmers, with exposure and sensitivity to climate risks, such as floods and droughts, significantly outweighing their adaptive capacity. The findings reveal that a substantial proportion of rural households are highly exposed to adverse climate change risks and lack the social, physical, and financial capital to effectively mitigate these challenges. The region's geographic and climatic conditions further exacerbate these vulnerabilities. Given the heavy reliance on agriculture for livelihoods in Wayanad, these results underscore the urgent need for targeted policy interventions to enhance the resilience of these communities.