Regresar

ANALYSIS OF VULNERABILITY TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN SMALL CITIES USING LIVELIHOOD APPROACH. A CASE OF STUDY OF COTACACHI, ECUADOR

Abstract:

Climate change is a global threat with local impacts that exacerbates existing prob-lems in a territory. The pre-existing vulnerability in local spaces deepens on changes in the levels of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity of the populations. This article analyzes the current state of vulnerability to climate change in households in small cities, with a case study in the northeast of Ecuador, the city of Cotacachi. A composite indicator of vulnerability to climate change was constructed, which uses the strategy and livelihoods approach, and by means of the Principal Component Analysis (PCA), determines indexes for sensitivity, adaptive capacity, and exposure to climate change in households. The results showed that the city of Cotacachi presents a low vulnerability since adaptive capacity reduced the impact of sensitivity and exposure of household. The article concludes with a reflection on possible actions to take to reduce vulnerability to climate change in small urban locations.