Micro-level vulnerability assessment among agricultural communities of District Kupwara, Kashmir Himalaya

Livelihood and food security are pressing issues for mountain communities, particularly in the ecologically fragile and data-deficient regions of the Kashmir Himalaya. This study evaluates the inherent vulnerability of agricultural communities at the village level in Kupwara district using an indicator-based approach. A total of 356 villages were assessed using ecological and socioeconomic indicators of sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, collected from secondary sources. These indicators were standardized, weighted using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and aggregated into composite indices for comparative analysis. Results show that 117 villages (33.14%) fall under high and 7 villages (1.96%) under very high vulnerability, while 211 villages are moderately vulnerable and over 90% of villages face moderate to high vulnerability. A comprehensive vulnerability gap and severity analysis was conducted, where the gap indicates the shortfall in adaptive capacity and severity measures potential damage. Village Hayihama emerged as highly sensitive, with a vulnerability gap of - 0.00893 and severity of 0.00312. The Kalrooch block had the highest severity, averaging a gap of - 0.00506 and severity of 0.00327. The research aims to guide policymakers by providing a robust framework to assess vulnerability, integrate risk perceptions into governance, and enhance resilience and adaptive capacity in farming communities.