Vulnerability to climate change is a function of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. Econometric and indicator-based approaches have been used to assess vulnerability at regional, national and global scales. However, these approaches often fail to capture how vulnerability varies within regions and communities. Within regions there is often little capacity to distinguish between exposure and sensitivity, while there is potentially considerable variability in adaptive capacity. This study presents a new approach for assessing adaptive capacity at household and village-levels by combining econometric data and landscape ecology measures to generate new types of indicators that provide new insights into local level adaptive capacity. Livelihood security is a key contributor to adaptation and we used the sustainable livelihood framework as a basis for analysis. We combined social survey information with spatial data on different livelihood capitals and integrated these using multivariate statistical methods to generate indicators of adaptive capacity for households and villages. A mixed method approach was used in two contrasting localities in the Nikachu watershed in central Bhutan to gather social and economic data and spatial data on landscape variables. A total of 144 households were selected through simple random sampling and were interviewed across 22 villages in the watershed. Indicators revealed a strong link between adaptive capacity and landscape position. Households at higher elevations generally had lower adaptive capacity, and therefore higher vulnerability to climate change, due to differences in physical, financial, natural and human capitals. These households and villages had lower diversity in income sources, greater dependence on natural resources, less education and training, less access to infrastructure (such as roads), and access to markets than households at lower elevations. Gender was also important, with female-headed households having lower adaptive capacity scores. However, some higher elevation households had higher adaptive capacity scores than others due to their capacity to collect the valuable insect fungus, Ophiocordyceps sinensis, from high altitude meadows. These new indicators provide insights into how adaptive capacity varies across scales. They can be used to identify policies and actions to improve adaptive capacity of vulnerable households and communities.

对气候变化的脆弱性是暴露程度，敏感性和适应能力的函数。计量经济学和基于指标的方法已用于评估区域，国家和全球规模的脆弱性。但是，这些方法通常无法捕捉到脆弱性在区域和社区之间如何变化。在区域内，区分曝光和灵敏度的能力通常很弱，而自适应能力可能存在相当大的可变性。这项研究提出了一种新的方法，通过将计量经济数据和景观生态措施相结合，以评估家庭和村庄一级的适应能力，从而产生了新的指标类型，从而为地方一级的适应能力提供了新的见识。生计安全是适应的关键因素，我们使用可持续生计框架作为分析的基础。我们将社会调查信息与不同生计首都的空间数据相结合，并使用多元统计方法将其整合起来，以生成适用于家庭和村庄的适应能力指标。在不丹中部尼卡楚（Nikachu）集水区的两个形成鲜明对比的地区使用了混合方法，以收集有关景观变量的社会和经济数据以及空间数据。通过简单的随机抽样选择了总共144户家庭，并在该流域的22个村庄进行了采访。指标显示适应能力与景观位置之间有很强的联系。海拔较高的家庭通常适应能力较低，因此，由于物质，财务，自然和人力资本的差异，对气候变化的脆弱性更高。与低海拔地区的家庭相比，这些家庭和村庄的收入来源多样性较低，对自然资源的依赖性更高，受教育和培训的机会较少，获得基础设施（如道路）和市场的机会较少。性别也很重要，女户主家庭的适应能力得分较低。但是，由于海拔较高的家庭具有收集有价值的昆虫真菌的能力，因此它们的适应能力得分较高。与海拔较低的家庭相比，进入基础设施（如道路）和进入市场的机会较少。性别也很重要，女户主家庭的适应能力得分较低。但是，由于海拔较高的家庭具有收集有价值的昆虫真菌的能力，因此它们的适应能力得分较高。与海拔较低的家庭相比，进入基础设施（如道路）和进入市场的机会较少。性别也很重要，女户主家庭的适应能力得分较低。但是，由于海拔较高的家庭具有收集有价值的昆虫真菌的能力，因此它们的适应能力得分较高。来自高海拔草地的中华phi。这些新指标可洞悉适应能力如何在不同规模上变化。它们可用于确定旨在提高弱势家庭和社区适应能力的政策和行动。