Sustainable Livelihood Security Index

Abstract

The present study emphasizes the importance of Sustainable Livelihood Security Index (SLSI) in Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission (SPMRP). This SLSI tool has the potential to identify the current sustainability condition and future needs to achieve and hold the sustainability tag. Chirrakunta Rurban Cluster is selected as a test site in this study. Three different indices viz. ecological security index (ESI), economic efficiency index (EEI), and social equity index (SEI) have been dealt with, using both spatial and nonspatial data. The selected indicators have been normalized followed by assignment of different weights to each index for computation of the final indices. By using these indices, SLSI has been estimated for each panchayat within this cluster. The results show that the only area having a very low SLSI score is Ada Panchayat which covers about 8.57% of the total area and 4.91% of the total population in this cluster and hence, it achieves the tag of Highly Sustainable (HS). The other nine panchayats that cover 75.34% of the total area and 52.38% of the total population come under Moderately Sustainable (MS) category. The remaining 16.09% of the total area and 42.71% of the total population come under Low Sustainable (LS) category in this cluster. Hence, there is an urgent need to reorient the development programmers. The investment for the development should be done on a priority basis for these vulnerable panchayats to provide them with proper resources and opportunities to ameliorate their ecological security, economic efficiency and social equity which may ascertain sustainable livelihood security to them. The regions at large require a strong and sound infrastructure to remove the deficiencies occurring at places.