Mapping climate vulnerability in Meghalaya: A three-tiered analysis at district, block, and village levels

Abstract

The study examines climate change vulnerability in Meghalaya at the district, block, and village levels using the IPCC 2014 framework. A vulnerability index is applied to categorize areas into different vulnerability levels, from very low to very high. At the district level, the analysis identifies notable regional variations in vulnerability, with South Garo Hills and West Khasi Hills classified as very high vulnerability, while several other districts-including East Khasi Hills, South West Garo Hills, East Jaintia Hills, Ri Bhoi, North Garo Hills, West Garo Hills, and East Garo Hills-fall within the high vulnerability category (72.73%). On the block level, a substantial proportion (69.57%) of blocks in Meghalaya are highly vulnerable, with 21.74% falling into the very high vulnerability category. This detailed assessment underscores the urgent need for focused climate adaptation strategies, particularly in high and very high vulnerability areas, to effectively address climate-related risks.