| Prospect | Understanding how climate vulnerability and its components are changing over time. |
| Potential use of M&E findings | This can inform decision making regarding the need for interventions. If a link to existing interventions can be plausibly established: learning about the effect of interventions on vulnerability. Assessing assumptions made in the theory of change (i.e. did interventions really contribute to a reduction in vulnerability). Informing the management of ongoing and the design of future adaptation interventions. |
| Description | A vulnerability assessment (VA) which was conducted at the beginning of an intervention is being repeated in an identical way after a certain time period. Comparing the results indicates if and how vulnerability has been changing. As next step, the possible effect of adaptation interventions on vulnerability changes can be examined. This can be used to assess the effectiveness of adaptation interventions. |
| Benefits and limitations | The main advantage of this approach is the ability to quantify the outcomes of adaptation as percentage of vulnerability reduction. However, other factors aside of the intervention may have also caused changes in vulnerability. Therefore, an analysis of the cause and effect relationship between the intervention and the measured changes in vulnerability is required. An addition, a sufficient amount of time between the VAs is needed so that the effects of interventions can be detected. |
| Resources needed | Know-how and financial resources to design the initial VA and repeat it. Depending on the type of VA, this may involve participatory workshops as well as modelling of vulnerability components such as exposure to hazards (detailed guidance to conduct a VA is provided by the Vulnerability Sourcebook) |
| Example from practice | An adaptation project in Bolivia introduced efficient drip-irrigation technology. A repeated VA was used to assess its effectiveness in reducing the vulnerability of smallholder farmers. Details are described in the Annex of the Vulnerability Sourcebook (GIZ, 2014). |
| Links | GIZ (2014). Vulnerability Sourcebook: Concept and guidelines for standardised vulnerability assessments. |
