Development of Tools to Assess Vulnerability to Climate Change in South Asia

Abstract

South Asia is recognized as one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to climate change. Its vulnerability is influenced by a large number of social, economic, political, and technical factors, some of which are peculiar to the region. The diversity of such factors makes vulnerability assessment a challenging task, but proper assessment of vulnerability to climate change will provide a good base for framing resilience strategies. The region is heavily dependent on water for human livelihood, and therefore, several water-related parameters are indicative of the challenges it faces. Traditional indicators which measure water scarcity do not account for the constraints imposed outside the political boundaries of a country. Considering the complexity of the challenges faced by the region, there is a need to re-think the indicators and mechanisms to assess water, food, and energy security. Assessment tools have to be capable of incorporating regional, national, and individual capabilities and constraints to climate change adaptation. Regional cooperation and water management treaties, cooperation among major water-using sectors, community empowerment in water-related decision making, the level of technology to address resilience issues, and the community’s access to technology need to be incorporated into vulnerability assessment tools.