Land Use/Cover, Vulnerability Index and Exposer Intensity

Abstract

This research paper mainly focus on vulnerability and exposer intensity due to land use change in Olomouc, Czech Republic. Assessment of vulnerability with exposer intensity to land use change is an important step for enhancing the understanding and decision-making to reduce vulnerability. This research work includes quantification of Exposure Index (EI), Sensitivity Index (SI) and Adaptive Capacity Index (AI). EI is based on intensity of land use change, SI and AI based on natural factors such as elevation, slope, vegetation and land cover. Vulnerability Index (VI) derived on the quantification of SI and AI and compared among three decades from 1991, 2001 and 2013. Comparing of EI and VI for last three decades, water have lowest vulnerability index and settlements have highest vulnerability index due to high socio-economic activities. Agriculture has highest exposer index and second highest vulnerability, which show its high rate of exploitation and production. In the study areas, vulnerability tends to increase with the increase of exposure to land use change, but can peak off once the land use start to benefit socio-economically from development. Only in this way we can enhance the adaptive capacity of study area to use change of land.