Drought risk management: pilot study on vulnerability and local risk management

This study addresses the vulnerability context of drought in Chile and identifies local coping strategies. It presents a cartographic vulnerability assessment proposal and an agricultural dependence index, in addition to survey and focus group outputs from rural communities where the study’s methodology was applied.

It presents two cases chosen in drought-prone areas with rainfed agriculture, the results of which indicate that vulnerability of rural livelihood correlates with factors such as: source of income, age of the farmers, distance from urban areas, environment depletion, and lack of social networks. It asserts that the risk reduction measures implemented by farmers prove to be significantly different between the two areas studied.

This pilot study was a joint effort carried out by the FAO and the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture. Its results have supported the design of the national system for climatic risk management on agriculture.