Climate change vulnerability of below mean sea level rice farmers using an agro ecological unit approach

Climate change vulnerability of below mean sea level rice farmers using an agro ecological unit approach | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Climate change vulnerability of below mean sea level rice farmers using an agro ecological unit approach Fathima Abdulkhaderkunju, Dhanusha Balakrishnan, Sreeram Vishnu, and 5 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8717372/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract In developing countries such as India, climate change is posing a severe threat to food security. India, which forms 17% of the global population, is ranked among the nations most at risk, as its livelihood is heavily dependent on agriculture, with rice-based production systems forming the basis of the national food supply. The rapidly increasing frequency and intensity of climatic stressors, namely floods and droughts, emphasize the importance of a systematic evaluation of how communities are affected and how well they are equipped to respond and cope. In this context, the present study constructs a Composite Vulnerability Index for Agro Ecological Units (CVI AEU ) to investigate the vulnerability of rice farmers across two major rice-growing regions of Kerala. The index is developed based on three dimensions, namely exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. These dimensions are derived from nine components, which are represented with the help of 39 indicators reflecting the agro–ecological characteristics of the study areas. Data were primarily collected from 263 farm households using a structured and pretested interview schedule. Results reveal that the difference in vulnerability between the two regions is more prominent in the exposure dimension, followed by sensitive and adaptive capacity. The study also identifies priority areas/ hotspots where timely interventions could result in risk reduction. The findings emphasize the importance of promoting diversified livelihood opportunities, improving access to credit, enhancing water resource management, promoting the adoption of appropriate climate-smart technologies, and strengthening disaster preparedness mechanisms. The CVI AEU framework proposed by the study offers flexibility and can be utilized for application in other rice-growing and tropical environments with suitable modification of the indicators relevant to the study area. Agro-ecological units indicators adaptation response monsoon adaptive capacity sensitivity Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 18 Feb, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 18 Feb, 2026 Editor invited by journal 17 Feb, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 11 Feb, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 11 Feb, 2026 First submitted to journal 11 Feb, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8717372","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":593195667,"identity":"4025604d-a0c1-4f52-8083-461ea254d2d4","order_by":0,"name":"Fathima Abdulkhaderkunju","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Kerala Agricultural University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Fathima","middleName":"","lastName":"Abdulkhaderkunju","suffix":""},{"id":593195668,"identity":"324ad4a8-bcda-428a-a0d3-73ade4d6edde","order_by":1,"name":"Dhanusha Balakrishnan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Karunya 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