Does livelihood vulnerability index justify the socio-economic status of mountainous community? A case study of post-earthquake ecological adaptation of Balakot population

Abstract

Hindu Kush Himalayan is facing greater threat from socio-economic and climatic transitions. The current study has assessed livelihood vulnerability due to climatic variability of natural resource dependent mountainous communities. The northern side of Pakistan is expected to bear severe impacts due to its distinct topography, land use and climate change. Based on primary data collected from four villages complemented with secondary climatic data, livelihood vulnerability was evaluated through a composite indicator as livelihood vulnerability index (LVI) and LVI-IPCC. GIS mapping was carried out to assess land use change in the area. The comparative analysis of Tehsil Balakot showed that UC Balakot was more vulnerable with a LVI score of 0.41 than UC Kawai 0.35. The results of in-depth analysis of differential vulnerability showed that households in UC Balakot had the low adaptive capacity and higher exposure to natural disasters. Developmental planners and policy makers should use such indices to assess root causes of vulnerability and specify community needs in policy making.