Village‐level livelihood security: A case study on a wasteland‐dominated forest fringe region of rural India

Abstract

The majority of the Indian population lives in rural areas, and the livelihood security of a wasteland‐dominated and forest‐fringe region in rural India is mostly dependent on primary economic activities. Under this backdrop, understanding the spatial pattern of livelihood security is essential for reducing poverty (Sustainable Development Goal 01) and eradicating spatial inequality in socio‐economic conditions (SDG 10). The study focuses on estimating the magnitude of livelihood security by combining the availability of natural resources, housing, drinking water, and sanitation facilities, economic condition, socio‐cultural condition, and availability of assets using the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) at the village level. The villages situated along the riverside (Shilabati River) of the north‐eastern part revealed a higher degree of livelihood security, whereas forest‐ and wasteland‐dominated central and south‐western parts exhibited a lower level of livelihood security. This demarcation of villages or rural units may help policymakers to frame adequate, sustainable, inclusive micro‐level policies, enhancing socio‐economic sustainability and livelihood security as well as reducing spatial inequality.

Solving problems of agricultural production development by modeling using the cluster analysis method

“…S. Mondal, P. Ghosh, P. Rohatgi assessed the livelihood of rural residents by combining the availability of natural resources, housing, drinking water and sanitary facilities, economic status, socio-cultural status and the availability of assets. Differentiation of rural settlements according to the level of provision with natural, labor, and technological resources can help politicians develop adequate, sustainable policies at the micro level that increase social and economic sustainability and security of livelihoods, as well as reduce spatial inequality [1]. In the process of allocating clusters, we also noted that the availability, provision of agricultural production, rural territories with resources, their rational use is a determining factor for the effective development of agricultural production, therefore, for the well-being of the territory.…”

“…The relevance of the study of the well-being of agricultural territories depending on the economic activity of economic entities on their territory is confirmed by Sanjib Mondal, Pritam Ghosh, Pratima Rohatgi. Understanding of the spatial model of livelihood provision is important for poverty reduction and eradication of spatial inequality in social and economic conditions [1]. C. Castillo et al note that urbanization, demographic changes, transition to digital and energy technologies, climate change, and increasing inequality affect the development of territory and agricultural production [2].…”