Vulnerability, Coping and Loss and Damage from Climate Events (original) (raw)

Loss and damage" is an emerging concept in the fields of climate-change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. It results from inadequate efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and insufficient capacity to adapt to climatic changes and cope with impacts. This chapter uses original data from study sites in four African and Asian countries that were surveyed in the context of the first ever multisite study of loss and damage in vulnerable communities. National researchers conducted fieldwork in rural areas, looking at impacts of drought (Gambia), floods (Kenya, Nepal), and cyclones (Bangladesh). Methods included a household survey (n ¼ 1,431) about climate-related stressors, vulnerability, impacts, coping strategies, and residual loss and damage. The survey data are used to investigate how rural households attempt to cope with impacts of climatic stressors and how successful they are in avoiding loss and damage. A multidimensional vulnerability index (MDVI) is created to analyze differences between more and less vulnerable households in the uptake and effectiveness of seven types of coping strategies. The study reveals that vulnerable households used a more diverse portfolio of coping measures. They were more likely to reduce expenses, modify food consumption and rely on social networks to cope with impacts of climatic stressors. No significant differences were found between more and less vulnerable households in the uptake of migration, asset sales and reliance on relief. The impacts of climate-related stressors in vulnerable communities are beyond the majority (69 percent) of households' capacity to cope. This is especially true for more vulnerable 1. The data presented in this chapter were gathered in the context of the Loss and Damage in Vulnerable Countries Initiative (www.lossanddamage.net). The Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) funded this project.