Abstract
Background:The livelihood of mountainous communities of Himalayan region closely knotted with forest related activities. However, forest degradation especially forest fire significantly affects the mountainous livelihood and hence, there is an urgent need to describe, evaluate and understand specificity of mountainous areas to forest fire.Methods:In this view, a study on livelihood vulnerability with forest fire of High Altitude Zone (HAZ) and Low Altitude Zone (LAZ) was assessed with Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI). It uses 35 indicators, reduced to six components to create an overall index. Each component is composed of set of indicators and they are function of observable variables. The framework uses primary data and employs maximum-minimum normalization to restrict the value range of indicators between 0 to 1.Results:The value near to 0 shows lower vulnerability. The overall vulnerability of HAZ region is higher, that might be attributed to higher dependency on forest; live in proximity of forest; unstable socioeconomic condition; less infrastructural development and higher exposure to climatic extreme events.Conclusion:Therefore, the adaptive capacity of HAZ should be strengthened in a cross cutting manner for reducing livelihood vulnerability to forest fire. The sectors specific developmental policies/programmes should also be rationalized through bottom up adaptation planning with special reference to forest fire vulnerability.
Highlights
Forest is one of the most valuable terrestrial ecosystems that play a crucial role in maintaining environmental balance
The results showed a varied response to Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) in Low Altitudinal Zone (LAZ) and High Altitudinal Zone (HAZ) regions
The HAZ was more vulnerable as compared to LAZ in socioeconomic profile
Summary
Forest is one of the most valuable terrestrial ecosystems that play a crucial role in maintaining environmental balance. It provides numerous goods and services, and maintains life support system essential for life on earth. Forests soak up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere offsetting anthropogenic emissions. Protecting forests, has a double-cooling effect, by reducing carbon emissions and by maintaining high levels of evaporation from the canopy (Dahal et al, 2009). The higher dependency of a larger section of rural population has an inhibitory effect on the productivity of forest. Forest is a source of livelihood and providing opportunities for poverty reduction to a larger section of rural population (Sunderlin et al, 2005). Forest degradation especially forest fire significantly affects the mountainous livelihood and there is an urgent need to describe, evaluate and understand specificity of mountainous areas to forest fire
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