Livelihood management strategies effectiveness in mitigation the impact of drought and improving pastoral household’s livability in Punjab Pakistan

Abstract

Environmental degradation due to intense climatic dynamics has raised frequency of natural disasters which particularly increased livelihood vulnerability of disaster-prone rural communities mainly inhabited in developing countries. Rangelands dilapidation and drought caused by climate change are some severe external disruptions confronted by pastoralists’ households. Anthropogenic and climatic stressors are anticipated to amplify pastoralists’ households’ vulnerability and pretense extra stress on rangelands. Examine and identify the livelihood outcomes, strategies and its profile more appropriate measure is to application the structure of sustainable livelihood. The particular purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of environmental and economic livelihood management strategies in disaster-prone areas of Punjab, Pakistan. Multiple cluster sampling approach was applied for the data collection of 768 various pastoral groups as agro-craft pastoral, servicing pastoral, agro-pastoral and pastoral households and applied principal component analysis for empirical estimation of the study. Even so, in perspective of pastoralists household’s livelihoods status traditional pastoral group has played crucial role. Estimates of the study indicated as pastoralist’s livelihood assets significantly drives households engagements in several livelihood strategies. Outcomes of the study suggested as application of livelihood diversification in pastoralists households can sustain appropriate circumstances of rangelands and lessen poverty in pastoralist’s community. On the other significant aspect, due to livelihood assets diversity in pastoralist’s households still no sole approach can concurrently make available mutually most favorable ecological sustainability and economic returns.