Chapter 7 - Livelihood constraints of indigenous people exposed to climatic hazards: an insight from Indian Sundarbans

Abstract

Understanding livelihood vulnerability to hydrometeorological hazards is a crucial challenge for policymakers to create a clear foundation for vulnerable coastal residents. The magnitude of indigenous peoples' vulnerability to the detrimental consequences of hydrometeorological hazards on socioeconomic conditions is being measured using microlevel livelihood vulnerability research employing LVI and Socioeconomic Vulnerability Index. Based on the indigenous population concentration, three villages from coastal West Bengal, India, were investigated in three different geographic locations: inland (Dakshin Durgapur), riverine (Krishnapur), and coastal (Satyadaspur). Overall, the indigenous people of Satyadaspur village were found to be the most vulnerable, with high sensitivity and low adaptive capacity, followed by the least vulnerable in Dakshin Durgapur, which is located geographically in the inland area, and Krishnapur, which was found to be in a moderate state of livelihood vulnerability. The least vulnerable households were educated households, moderate to large farmers, and households with a permanent home with a greater income facility.