A Locally-disaggregated Multidimensional Vulnerability Index for Bhutan
An analysis to identify the most vulnerable population to impacts of COVID-19.
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic is changing people’s lives in multiple ways. Clearly, the nature of the pandemic has had a differentiated effect in different population groups. It is clear now that the potential adverse effects of the pandemic are unevenly distributed. Some groups are being hit stronger depending either on individual characteristics (such as age, the sector of activity and type of occupation), family characteristics (like the number of earners in the family), or simply location.
Among others, the study found that the lack of Connectivity for Education (a computer device and internet) appears amongst the most prevalent deprivation indicators. This applies for both the general population and among the population that is multidimensionally deprived. The incidence of multidimensional vulnerability shows that nearly one-fifth of population is prone to be affected by the adverse effects of the pandemic (multidimensionally vulnerable).
This study aims to provide an analytical tool to inform a broad set of public policies under a multidimensional framework. The analysis proposes the construction of a Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) to identify the most vulnerable population and hence to inform planning policies and envisage, or complement, current or prospective public interventions.
