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Measurement of Vulnerability & Adaptation to climate change for Forest dependent communities: An Empirical study in Drought-prone area of West Bengal, India
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Basu, Jyotish Prakash |
| Copyright Year | 2011 |
| Abstract | The paper focuses on understanding and quantifying the vulnerability and livelihood security of forest dependent communities in West Bengal. The key goal of adaptation strategies is the reduction of vulnerability and to sustain and enhance the livelihoods of poor people. Forest as the vulnerable sector and constitute an integral part of social life of tribals and others living in and around forest areas and contribute substantially to the food supply and livelihood security of tribal populations in India. Besides, during droughts and in times of scarcity, the dependence on forests for food has found to increase. In India about 300 million rural poor are dependent on forest for livelihood and more than half of them are tribal and depend on minor forest products (nontimber forest products). The non-timber forest products comprise food, fuelwood, medicine; sal leaves, kendu leaves and mushrooms etc are very important contributors to the livelihood of the forest dependent people. The objectives of the paper are three fold. First, the paper attempts to measure quantitative vulnerability assessment for the forest dependent communities where drought hazards are prevalent. Second, the paper tries to estimate the determinants of adaptation to climate change using Heckman's two-step model. Lastly, the paper examines the role of forest policy and Governmental policy of India. This paper is an empirical study based on data collected through field survey. This study covers four villagesand Bandhgaba, Dhansimla, Rangakula, Khayarakura, both are scheduled tribe and scheduled caste based villages located in Sonamukhi forest area in the District of Bankura, one of the drought prone districts of West Bengal, consisting of 100 households in 2010. Socio-Economic vulnerability assessment for each village has been calculated. In this study, six factors i.e., sanitation, educational status; public health facility, housing condition, food sufficiency from agriculture and perception to climate change have been incorporated for socioeconomic vulnerability assessment of each village. Vulnerability indices have been calculated using Three Categorized Ranking Method (TCR) assigning scores of 1 to 3, 1 being the least vulnerable. The paper has identified key vulnerabilities like education, health hygiene, and sanitation and food insufficiency. In the Heckman's two-step process of adaptation the analysis considers people's perception that climate is changing and then responding to changes through adaptation. This paper has identified the household's adaptation strategies like migration; formation of Self-help Group (SHGs), accessibility of minor forest products and livestock rearing. The results of perception to climate change revealed that age of the household head; number of adult male and operational holdings have significant impact on the perception to climate change. Moreover, the analysis of factors affecting adaptation to climate change indicates that the age of the head of the households, maritial status, operational holdings, physical asset value, wage income, forestry income, temperature and family size have significant impact on adaptation to climate change. The Government of India has undertaken little policy action to reduce climate-related vulnerability particularly in the droughtprone regions of West Bengal. This paper has important policy implications for poverty reduction, livelihood, vulnerability and migration. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://danida.vnu.edu.vn/cpis/files/Papers_on_CC/Vulnerability/Measurement%20of%20Vulnerability%20&%20Adaptation%20to%20climate%20change%20for%20Forest%20dependent%20communities-%20An%20Empirical%20study%20in%20Drought-prone%20area%20of%20West%20Bengal,%20India.pdf |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://www.bioecon-network.org/pages/13th_2011/Basu.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
