Groping climate vulnerability in western mountainous Nepal: applying climate vulnerability index

This study examines the relationship between the magnitude of climate vulnerability, location and altitude of the catchment areas of Sot Khola sub water basin in western mountainous Surkhet, Nepal by building climate vulnerability index by cluster based on the primary data sources. Household survey covering adaptive, sensitive and exposure was conducted in 642 households of the catchment areas for the primary data set. The study has built climate vulnerability index (CVI) of Sot Khola sub water basin’s catchment areas, which provides sufficient evidence of heterogeneity in vulnerability of household across location and altitude of the catchment areas. In all clusters, all households are vulnerable at different level. About 69 percent household in all clusters is vulnerable in which 31 percent households are highly vulnerable. Lower cluster of the catchment areas ( Lekhagaon and Kunathari) are more vulnerable than upper cluster of the catchment areas(Gadhi), except the lower cluster of Gadhi. Therefore, the altitude and magnitude of climate change vulnerability have negative correlation in case of water-induced disasters. In case of climate change vulnerability, household’s socio economic and magnitude of climate change vulnerability have also negative correlation.