Traditional poverty measures neglect several important dimensions of household welfare. In this paper we construct a measure of 'vulnerability' which allows us to quantify the welfare loss associated with poverty as well as the loss associated with any of a variety of different sources of uncertainty. Applying our measure to a panel dataset from Bulgaria in 1994, we find that poverty and risk play roughly equal roles in reducing welfare. Aggregate shocks are more important than idiosyncratic sources of risk, but households headed by an employed, educated male are less vulnerable to aggregate shocks than are other households.

Rainfed agriculture is generally overlooked by development investors, researchers and policy makers due to limited confidence in its ability to increase agricultural production and development. However, research undertaken by a team of leading scientists from global organizations demonstrates its potential in achieving food security, improving livelihoods and most importantly addressing issues of equity and poverty reduction in dryland areas - the hot spots of poverty. On the basis of case studies from varied agricultural and ecological regions in Asia and Africa, chapters discuss the need for adopting new paradigms between rainfed and irrigated agriculture, catchment/micro-watershed management approaches, upgrades in science-based development and more investments in rainfed areas. Yield gaps for major rainfed crops are analysed globally and possible ways and means including technological, social, and institutional options to bridge the yield gaps are discussed in detail. Covering areas such as rainwater harvesting and its efficient use, the rehabilitation of degraded land and assessment methods for social, environmental and economic impacts, this book will be necessary for both academics and policy makers working in water management, agriculture and sustainable development.

Due to the widespread use of surveys in agricultural resources estimation there is a broad and recognizable interest in methods and techniques to collect and process agricultural data. This book brings together the knowledge of academics and experts to increase the dissemination of the latest developments in agricultural statistics. Conducting a census, setting up frames and registers and using administrative data for statistical purposes are covered and issues arising from sample design and estimation, use of remote sensing, management of data quality and dissemination and analysis of survey data are explored. Key features: Brings together high quality research on agricultural statistics from experts in this field. Provides a thorough and much needed overview of developments within agricultural statistics. Contains summaries for each chapter, providing a valuable reference framework for those new to the field. Based upon a selection of key methodological papers presented at the ICAS conference series, updated and expanded to address current issues. Covers traditional statistical methodologies including sampling and weighting. This book provides a much needed guide to conducting surveys of land use and to the latest developments in agricultural statistics. Statisticians interested in agricultural statistics, agricultural statisticians in national statistics offices and statisticians and researchers using survey methodology will benefit from this book.

Measuring Vulnerability to Natural Hazards presents a broad range of current approaches to measuring vulnerability. It provides a comprehensive overview of different concepts at the global, regional, national, and local levels, and explores various schools of thought. More than 40 distinguished academics and practitioners analyse quantitative and qualitative approaches, and examine their strengths and limitations. This book contains concrete experiences and examples from Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe to illustrate the theoretical analyses.The authors provide answers to some of the key questions on how to measure vulnerability and they draw attention to issues with insufficient coverage, such as the environmental and institutional dimensions of vulnerability and methods to combine different methodologies.This book is a unique compilation of state-of-the-art vulnerability assessment and is essential reading for academics, students, policy makers, practitioners, and anybody else interested in understanding the fundamentals of measuring vulnerability. It is a critical review that provides important conclusions which can serve as an orientation for future research towards more disaster resilient communities.

New evidence this year corroborates the rise in world hunger observed in this report last year, sending a warning that more action is needed if we aspire to end world hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. Updated estimates show the number of people who suffer from hunger has been growing over the past three years, returning to prevailing levels from almost a decade ago. Although progress continues to be made in reducing child stunting, over 22 percent of children under five years of age are still affected. Other forms of malnutrition are also growing: adult obesity continues to increase in countries irrespective of their income levels, and many countries are coping with multiple forms of malnutrition at the same time – overweight and obesity, as well as anaemia in women, and child stunting and wasting.