In the Shadow
of Climate Change: Exploring Livelihood Vulnerability in the Juang Communities of
Keonjhar
Jena Damodar, Das Shusrisangeeta, Mishra Priyanka, Kar Brajaballav, Patnaik Sonali
and Panda Itishree
Disaster Advances; Vol. 18(6); 7-17;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/186da07017; (2025)
Abstract
Climate change has a disproportionate impact on communities that rely on natural
resources, especially those in vulnerable, disaster-prone regions like Odisha, India.
This study evaluates the climate vulnerability of the Juang tribes in Keonjhar district,
using the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI), which is based on the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change’s model. Data were collected from 200 households, whose
livelihoods primarily depend on agriculture and natural resources. Secondary data
were also integrated to enhance the findings. The analysis identified "livelihood
status" (0.56) and "social status" (0.53) as the most vulnerable components among
the seven vulnerability factors assessed. These results indicate that economic conditions
and social networks are key factors in determining the community’s resilience to
climate impacts.
This study demonstrates that the LVI can serve as an effective tool for policymakers
to prioritize interventions, to plan long-term strategies and to enhance climate
resilience in vulnerable tribal communities. By providing a quantitative measure
of vulnerability, the study underscores the importance of context-specific adaptation
strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change. Ultimately, the LVI framework
can guide sustainable development initiatives, ensuring that the needs of marginalized
communities like the Juangs are addressed in climate adaptation policies.
