Table I.

Different indicator methods of measuring vulnerability to climatic shocks

IndexAuthors (year)AssumptionLimitation
Social vulnerabilityLee (2014) Indicator based (in terms of capital) study
Zero-mean normalization was applied to standardize the indicator values
All indicators (variables) showed same (positive) direction to vulnerability
Considered only single hazard (flood)
Social vulnerability index (SVI)Ge et al. (2013) Application of projection pursuit cluster (PPC) model.
Hazard-loss assessment by using economic variables (GDP and PCI)
Absence of exposure indicator(s)
No algebraic solution of PPC and hence no global optimal solution
Climate vulnerability index (CVI)Pandey and Jha (2012) Primary data-based index
Useful tool for assessing spatio-temporal scale differences in vulnerability
Suitable only for mountainous areas
Weightage of different sub-components were data sensitive
Vulnerability indexGbetibouo et al. (2010) Large spatial base (nine South African provinces) for data collection
Principal component analysis for weighing indicators
Likelihood of paradoxical weight assigning to indicators due to poor data structure
Livelihood effect index (LEI)Urothody and Larsen (2010) Primary data were used
Comparison between LVI and LEI
Perception on climate change and assigning importance (weights) to contributing factors by the illiterate respondents might not be accurate
LVIHahn et al. (2009) Good dataset/primary data
Diversified components were considered for vulnerability
Equal weights for all components is not feasible
Vulnerability as expected povertyDeressa et al. (2009) Measures farmers’ vulnerability to drought, floods and other climatic extremes
Estimates the probability that a household’s consumption will fall below a minimum level due to the occurrence of a climatic shock
Measures only the tendency to be poor (vulnerability) in future due to climatic extremes and not current vulnerability
Social vulnerability index (SVI)Vincent (2004) Different weights were used for different sub-indices
Multi-country analysis data problem due to us age of secondary data
For multi-country analysis the relative importance(weights) of sub-indices were likely to be different
Missing data problem due to usage of secondary data
Social vulnerability index (SVI)Cutter et al. (2008) County-level socio-economic and demographic data were used
Principal component analysis was applied for data reduction
Variables related to exposure to natural hazard were ignored
Likelihood of not considering important variable after extraction of principal components due to data structure
Source: Authors’ compilation from literature, 2016

or Create an Account

Close Modal
Close Modal