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Climate vulnerability and household nutrition in India

the most vulnerable district followed by Sonepur (0.191) and Baudh (0.190) in terms of climate vulnerability on
agricultural production and ecosystem, which are characterized with low socioeconomic development induces with a
high concentration of scheduled caste population. Around 37% (11 from 30) of districts of Odisha are categorized under
high climate vulnerability range, 53% are in the medium range followed by 10% in the lower segment. These vulnerable
high districts do score poorly both on biophysical as well as on socioeconomic aspects, i.e., few areas available with the
districts for extensive cropping with less cultivable lands having irrigation facilities. Attributes such as low cropping
intensity and a high concentration of scheduled caste population coupled are primary contributors to higher vulnerability.
Similarly, less per-capita income and few person-days generated through assured employment generation schemes have
also contributed to the higher vulnerability of districts. This creates more sensitivity to climate shocks and high reliance
on fragile agriculture production ecosystem.
Empirical evidence also indicates that household nutrition status not only results from socioeconomic factors but
also relates to biophysical factors of climate vulnerability attribute such as gross cropped area, percentage of area under
forest coverage, cropping intensity, average annual rainfall, and irrigation facilities. The findings of the study are in
congruence with past studies that agriculture as an intervention has a strong potential capacity to influence household
nutrition outcomes by improving household food availability, to access and to improve dietary quality, income, and child-
caring practice empowering the women (Black, Victora, Walker, et al., 2013; Paolisso, Hallman, Haddad, et al., 2002;
Mishra, Sahu and Sahu, 2015; Das 2017; Lloyd, Kovats and Chalabi, 2011). The socioeconomic factors such as women’s
social and economic status quo, per-capita income, and level of urbanization also have significant roles to contribute as
far as household nutrition outcomes are concerned. This has been established both in correlation and regression analyses.
Of course, the study finds that in estimating (both woman and child) household nutrition status, the composite value of
the climate vulnerability index does not influence much to predict the predictors. Still, individual covariates play a more
predictive role in determining the household nutrition status such as gross cropped area, forest areas, and concentration
of scheduled caste population.
Further, analyzing the evidence, the study suggests that climate vulnerability has a much more significant role in
influencing the agriculture production system through gross cropped area and area under irrigation and district-wise forest
coverage. These are the factors that have a much more significant role in influencing household nutrition through the
agricultural production system by making the availability of quality food and diet. Availability and accessibility of quality
food have a greater role in addressing the problem of malnutrition in India and particularly in Odisha. For solving this
challenge, there is an emergent need for strong committed and concentrated effort, especially to link production of food
with its nutritional quality, safety, delivery, and last-mile availability also affordability with other determinants of nutrition.
Given this, in the year 2015, the Government of Odisha has prepared Odisha Nutrition Action Plan (ONAP) which is a
multi-sector plan keeping in mind the Sustainable Development Goals and World Health Assembly targets for nutrition.
The state has also set a target to achieve a 20%-point reduction in malnutrition by 2025 (GoO, 2015). Special efforts have
also been emphasized to address this problem through multiple interventions with a multidisciplinary approach and inter-
departmental convergence at the government level instead of focusing on compartmentalized operations. Convergence in
policies and actions would be required to ameliorate the present situation of undernutrition in the state with much more
targeted interventions and strategies for certain vulnerable pockets.
Acknowledgment

The author wish to extend thanks to the unanimous reviewer of this article, their honest feedback and suggestions help us
to strengthen the article.
Authors’ Contributions

Arabinda Acharya, conceptualized, designed the research, and undertook the analysis and wrote the paper. Both the
authors edited and approved the final paper.

Conflicts of Interest
We are declaring that “No conflicts of interest.”

Source of Funding
No funding has received from any sources to undertake this study.

52 International Journal of Population Studies | 2020, Volume 6, Issue 1