UN sheds light on multidimensional vulnerabilities in SL in new report

Debt and lack of education and ability to adapt to disasters are factors that make most people feel vulnerable, says a new report released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and University of Oxford’s Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI). 
The policy report titled ‘Understanding Multidimensional Vulnerabilities: Impact on People of Sri Lanka’ puts forth Sri Lanka’s first-ever Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI), which was derived using the National Citizen Survey (NCS) 2022-23, covering a representative sample of 25,000 households. The survey was conducted between November 2022 and March 2023, to capture the impact of the cascading crises on the people. 

It demonstrates the overlapping challenges faced by Sri Lanka’s population and weaves together a novel set of indicators to capture vulnerabilities beyond traditional income-based measures. 
The index includes 12 indicators grouped under three dimensions: education, health and disasters and living standards. Indicator selection was based on consultations with key stakeholders, including a technical advisory panel. The collaborative engagement process ensured that the MVI would appropriately reflect the complexity of vulnerabilities experienced by individuals and groups across Sri Lanka.   
The national results of the MVI indicate that the key factors that impact vulnerability include household indebtedness, largely due to pawning items to purchase essential goods, years of schooling, disaggregated by gender and adaptive capacity to disasters. In addition to these, working in informal jobs also makes individuals more vulnerable.   
Commenting on the report, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardene in his message noted that it comes at a crucial time for Sri Lanka. 
“Given the recent events, it is timely that the first MVI is developed for Sri Lanka, to ensure that those at the helm of policymaking will continue to be equipped with the information they need to determine where help is most needed,” Gunawardene said.   

University of Oxford OPHI Director Dr. Sabina Alkire observed that the MVI sheds light on the complex landscape of vulnerability in Sri Lanka, where 55.7 percent of the population or 12.3 million people experience multidimensionally vulnerability. 

Highlighting the importance of the report, UNDP Sri Lanka Resident Representative Azusa Kubota said that amidst a rapidly shrinking fiscal space, deepening the understanding of these diverse experiences and vulnerabilities is an important first step towards designing impactful policy and programme interventions. “The report’s findings have far-reaching policy and programme implications as Sri Lanka embarks on a series of interventions to ensure sustainable, inclusive and green recovery pathways from the crises. We hope this report will influence and shape policies and interventions that prioritise the needs of vulnerable communities,” she said. 
Several districts, including Puttalam, Batticaloa, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Ampara, Vavuniya and Nuwara Eliya, exhibit multidimensional vulnerability, highlighting the need for focused interventions to address factors like disaster preparedness, debt relief, water source accessibility and female education. Thus, a nuanced, well-designed and comprehensive policy approach is recommended to improve the wellbeing of these communities. The MVI sheds light on the complexity of the existing vulnerabilities – with overall results suggesting targeted efforts in areas like debt, disaster preparedness, water source accessibility and female education, emphasising the need for multisectoral engagement to enhance the wellbeing of vulnerable communities in Sri Lanka.   The MVI for Sri Lanka is identified as the first-ever vulnerability index using citizen science. However, this study is not without its limitations.