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This study systematically analysed important components of vulnerability and mapped them by weight for four altitude zones in the Indian Himalayas. Indices focusing on components of the three different dimensions of vulnerability (adaptive capacity, exposure, sensitivity) were identified based on the literature. Data on these different indices were then collected through a pre-tested questionnaire-based survey of 403 randomly selected households in the four altitude zones The results indicated that communities in the middle and high altitude zones (1000–2000 m a.s.l.) were more vulnerable (score 0.32 and 0.31, respectively) than those in the low and very high zones (score 0.29 and 0.30, respectively). Greater vulnerability was mainly due to high exposure to extreme events and less adaptive capacity, which can affect agricultural production negatively, in combination with high population density in middle-altitude communities