Developing a Weather-Related Climate Vulnerability Index for Residents of Jimeta, Nigeria

Climate variability presents growing environmental and public health concerns in rapidly developing urban areas, particularly where residents have limited capacity to respond to weatherrelated hazards. This study developed a Weather-Related Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) for residents of Jimeta, Adamawa State, Nigeria. The study examined changes in selected meteorological variables and assessed residents’ exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity to weather-related risks. An integrated geospatial, statistical and vulnerability-assessment approach was adopted. Secondary data comprising Land Surface Temperature (LST), rainfall, solar radiation, relative humidity and wind speed were obtained for 1994, 2004, 2014 and 2024. Landsat satellite imagery was obtained from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) EarthExplorer platform, rainfall data were obtained from the Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing (CHRS) Data Portal, while ground-based meteorological records were obtained from the Upper Benue River Basin Development Authority. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Based on a projected 2024 population of 320,239, a sample size of 384 was determined, of which 380 questionnaires were successfully retrieved and analysed. Descriptive statistics, trend analysis, Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques and a standardised CVI based on exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity were employed. The results showed that LST increased from 21.3°C in 1994 to 30.0°C in 2024, while rainfall fluctuated, relative humidity declined, solar radiation remained relatively stable and wind speed showed minor changes. The CVI results produced high exposure (0.78), moderate-high sensitivity (0.66) and low adaptive capacity (0.28), resulting in an overall CVI of 0.72, which indicates high vulnerability. The study recommends strengthening early-warning systems, improving flood management, promoting urban greening, integrating climate risks into urban planning, and enhancing institutional and community adaptive capacity in Jimeta.

Keywords: Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI), Climate Variability, Meteorological Variables, Weather-Related Health Risks, Jimeta