Assessing the Regional Variation of Climate Change Vulnerability in Korea

Climate change adaptation requires understanding of the impact of and vulnerability to climate change. The present study analyzed the spatial distribution of climate change vulnerability in Korea using index-based data for different regions, with focus on flood and typhoon. The framework of vulnerability used in the present study was composed of three domains, i.e., exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, with subordinate component data sets under each domain. The results showed that the vulnerability degree varies across regions. Generally speaking, coastal areas were more vulnerable to climate change than inland areas. Some densely populated southern big cities and the capital Seoul metropolitan area demonstrated greater adaptive capacity economically and institutionally, moderating the impact of the exposure and sensitivity to climate change. Overall, coastal areas showed the higher vulnerability (5.89) compared with inland areas (4.73) due to high exposure to climate related events and physical characteristics of the areas. These results show that minimizing the damage from climate change requires the enhancement of adaptive capacity, especially in vulnerable areas where exposure cannot be controlled. The study suggests that appropriate adaptation measures specific to different regions should be developed in order to minimize damages from the ever increasing extreme natural events in Korea and the world.