Climate change is a reality and a formidable challenge globally and in India. Across the world, there has been a rise in extreme climate events such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves. The severity and frequency of these extreme events are projected to escalate in the coming years (IPCC, 2022). These events not only endanger natural ecosystems but also pose substantial risks to human systems. However, it is crucial to recognise that the distribution of the impact of climate change is not equal across the world. It is dependent on different facets of socio-economic and demographic inequalities based on gender, age, class, race, ethnicity, (dis)ability, economic status, etc. There is, therefore, an urgent need to assess and quantify climate risks, considering the probability of climate-hazards, and socio-economic and demographic disparities, and identify the underlying drivers of risk. Such an assessment is essential to move from a reactive stance to a precautionary approach. Consequently, conducting vulnerability and risk assessments tailored to specific regions becomes a fundamental initial step for effective adaptation strategies. In the face of escalating climate challenges, comprehensive climate risk assessment is a tool that can empower governments to prioritise and enhance preparedness by determining critical risk components.
During the initial phase of the project (2019–2021), the project team developed vulnerability maps at the district level. This was initially for the Indian Himalayan Region (Barua et al., 2019), and subsequently for all of India (Dasgupta et al., 2021). The team adopted a common framework of vulnerability assessment and a common set of indicators. This assessment identified and ranked districts vulnerable to climate change, indicating the urgent need for adaptation interventions that were also aligned to overall socio-economic development. While vulnerability assessments play a crucial role in prioritising adaptation efforts, evaluating climate risk is a natural progression toward gaining deeper insights into districts’ relative risk to climate change. Climate risk encompasses the probability of hazard occurrence, exposure to hazards, and vulnerability (IPCC 2014). Therefore, comprehending climate risks by mapping a common framework presents an opportunity to understand the entry points for adaptation planning. This study is an effort to integrate vulnerability assessment with proneness to two hazards: flood and drought, and exposure to these hazards, to gain a comprehensive understanding of risk, using the framework proposed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The overarching aim of this study is to assess the risk associated with two prevalent climate hazards in India –drought and flood– in the context of historical and current climate conditions during 1970–2019. Specific objectives of the study include:
1. Develop district-level flood and drought hazard, exposure, and vulnerability maps, which will lead to the generation of comprehensive flood and drought risk maps for India.
2. Develop district-level flood and drought hazard, exposure, and vulnerability maps for the Indian states and UTs.
3. Building the capacity of State climate change cells and allied departments in climate change risk assessment for adaptation planning.
Shyamasree Dasgupta (a), Anamika Barua (b), Priyam L Borgohain (b), Triambak Baghel (a), Pooja Sankhyayan (a), Himani Narwal (a), Aarifah Jan (a), Surbhi Vyas (b), Yashpal Luniwal (a), Shankar Ghosh (b), and Mir Khursheed Alam (a) collaborated on the project with CSTEP.
(a) Indian Institute of Technology Mandi
(b) Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
