A quantitative approach to human-thermal vulnerability

Vulnerability refers to the quality or state of being exposed to physical or emotional conditions or at risk of adversely affecting human life and property. Taking into account that vulnerability to a hot environment is a cumulative manifestation attributed to location-dependent environmental, physiological and socio-demographic factors, the study focused on the semi-arid steppe and humid tropical regions including representative states of India (Punjab, Haryana and West Bengal). The technique of principle component analysis (PCA) was applied to extract clusters of indicators as the principal components. The district-wise socio-demographic and agricultural indicators were quantitatively assessed to arrive at a generalized social vulnerability indicator for Punjab and Haryana. The human-thermal vulnerability criterion evolved from the socio-demographic indicators, climatic stressors and farming resources of the districts. The village-wise analysis in eastern India extracted components, such as household amenities, developmental factors and basic amenities (e.g. potable water) yielding a criterion of social vulnerability. The village-wise human-thermal vulnerability criterion comprised environmental, physiological and biophysical parameters, and body characteristics of the individual respondents. The study revealed distinctive district and village-wise disparity of the human-thermal vulnerability indicators. The differences in the social and human-thermal vulnerability levels across districts and villages indicated that socially vulnerable regions might not correspond to climatic vulnerability and vice versa. The present modest attempt raises that a quantitative approach to the human-thermal vulnerability assessment bears importance for location-specific intervention to mitigate health hazards of the susceptible population.