Sensitivity

The sensitivity of a system is defined as its extent of being affected by an external climate stimulus, either positively or negatively. It is determined by the socioeconomic and biophysical characteristics of a region of interest. Various Indicators of sensitivity included in computation of vulnerability index are: net sown area, degraded and waste land, annual rainfall, cylone proneness, flood proneness, drought proneness, available water holding capacity of soil, stage of ground water development, rural population density, small and marginal farmers (CRIDA, 2013).

On the basis of sensitivity index districts of Odisha are categorized into five broad categories such as very low sensitivity, low sensitivity, medium sensitivity, high sensitivity and very high sensitivity.


Very low sensitivity: Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khordha and Cuttack

Low sensitivity category: Balasore, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Angul, ganjam and Jharsuguda

Medium sensitivity: Deogarh, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Sonepur, Balangir, Nayagarh

High sensitivity category: Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Boudh, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Gajapati, Koraput

Very high sensitivity category: Mayurbhanj, Kandhmal, Rayagada, Nawarangpur, Malkanagiri