Sustainable Livelihood Security Index Research Articles

Agricultural sustainability in Karnataka: Application of Sustainable Livelihood Security Index

The present study was carried out in Karnataka state to assess the relative agricultural sustainability status ofKarnataka during the year 2021–22 using Sustainable Livelihood Security Index (SLSI). Three indicators, viz.Ecological Security, Economic Efficiency and Social Equity Index were used. The results of the study show that inKarnataka better conditions for sustainable agriculture exist in majority of the Southern districts. However, few Northern districts, viz. Belagavi, Raichur, Bagalkote and Ballari have better level of ecological security and some Southern districts Bengaluru (U), Bengaluru (R), Chikkaballapur, Kolar and Ramanagara have low level of ecological security. In economic efficiency and social equity indicator also, majority of the Northern districts lagged behind compared to southern districts while Belagavi and Kalburgi districts have shown better performance compared to rest of the districts in the state. Adoption of sustainable agricultural practices such as judicial use of fertilizers and plant protection chemicals, efficient water use techniques (drip and sprinkler irrigation), use of organic manures and diversification of farm activities would help in sustainable agricultural development. To achieve ecological sustainability, steps need to be taken to enhance forest cover through afforestation especially in the districts which have poor ecological security. Further, there is a need to enhance the crop yield, encourage dairy farming and improve work force participation through training and skill development in the districts with poor economic efficiency.

Sustainable Livelihood Security of Integrated Farming Systems Practicing Farmers through Different Enterprise Combinations in Andhra Pradesh

The present study described the sustainable livelihood security of integrated farming systems practicing 189 farmers through different enterprise combinations in Chittoor district of Rayalaseema region, East Godavari from Coastal region and Srikakulam from North Coastal region during 2020-21. Indicators under each dimension of sustainable livelihood security were selected by item analysis. Out of 52 indicators, finally 25 indicators of sustainable livelihood security were selected based on relevancy weightage and mean relevancy score. The results revealed that majority of the farmers practicing Integrated Farming System had permanent asset creation (54.50%), food and nutritional security (53.97%), economic security (53.97%), input recycling (52.38%), occupational security (51.32%), financial security (50.79%), environmental security (47.09%) and social security (42.33%). The overall sustainable livelihood security index was nearly half (47.62%) among the farmers in medium category. Most of the farmers were having medium and high sustainable livelihood security due to integration of more enterprises which enabled optimum utilization of available resources through recycling resulting in more income, employment, and more food security throughout the year.

Agricultural Sustainability in the North Eastern Region of India

This paper offers an economic analysis of agricultural sustainability in the North Eastern Region (NER) of India by calculating the sustainable livelihood security index (SLSI) of each state. The SLSI serves as an important indicator for educating farmers and other stakeholders about sustainable agriculture production. This paper focuses on the NER as this region has received meagre attention in policy perspectives and is deprived in terms of various socio-economic and ecological indicators as compared to the rest of India. The findings show that various components of the SLSI, such as the ecological security index, economic efficiency index, and social equity index, have wide interstate variations. The agricultural sector in the NER has largely been neglected, with the state failing to adopt inclusive policies to uplift small and marginal farmers. The region suffers from severe poverty and malnutrition, improper management, over-exploitation of natural resources, and population explosion. These issues are a threat to agricultural sustainability. The study aims to identify the key factors that influence agricultural sustainability for inclusive and sustainable agricultural development. The findings show that the value of the SLSI ranged from 0.37 to 0.56 among the North Eastern states, which shows low agricultural sustainability.

Sustainable livelihood security of small farmers improved through a resilient farming system in thesemiaridregion of India

AbstractImproving the farming system to attain the household level self‐sufficiency, land utilization efficiency and sustainable livelihood security depends on better socio‐economic and ecological aspects of the systems practiced by the small farmers in the semiarid regions of India. The higher sustainable livelihood security index (SLSI) in the integrated crops‐livestock system helps to restore economic and ecological sustainability. The aim of this study was to analyze how various modules of farming in different combinations have interacted with the diversification of existing systems. We used the ecological security index (ESI), economic efficiency index (EEI), and social equity index (SEI) to produce a SLSI of improved integrated farming system (IFS) compared with benchmark farming in semiarid regions. In this study, different existing IFS comprising of seven modules (field crops, dairy, goats, poultry, horticulture, fishery, and apiary) in different combinations were examined. Results revealed that 72.5% farmers preferred to integrate two modules, where as 95% of farmers adopted field crops + dairy (FC + D) in preference to other modules. The sustainability indicators: ESI (+43.3%), EEI (+16.0%), SEI (+11.6%), and SLSI (+6.0%) were improved in the FC + D farming system to a greater degree than other IFS module combinations. Similarly, improved IFS interventions also increased sustainability indicators over benchmark farming. Based on large scale household studies over 5 years, our findings suggest that the improved IFS succeeded in providing a wider array of livelihood security than existing practices. Hence, the paradigm shift from component approach to an IFS‐based resilient system, which is economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and socially acceptable, is needed for development of semiarid regions.

Sustainable livelihood security in Odisha, India: A district level analysis

Sustainable livelihood security (SLS) is an integrating framework that encompasses current concerns and policy requirements for ecological, social, and economic dimensions of sustainable development. It carries particular importance for developing economies. This study intends to verify the relative status of SLS of the 30 districts in Odisha, which is a backward state in eastern India. In this study, a total of 22 relevant indicators relating to the three components of SLS—ecological security, social equity, and economic efficiency have been taken, based on various kinds of government reports. The principal component analysis (PCA) has been used to ascertain the indicators and the importance of each of them to the corresponding component of SLS. The ecological security index (ESI), social equity index (SEI), economic efficiency index (EEI), and composite sustainable livelihood security index (CSLSI) of each district of Odisha were calculated through the min-max normalization technique. The results revealed that there are wide variations in SLS among the districts of Odisha. In this study, the districts are categorized into four levels based on scores of ESI, SEI, EEI, and CSLSI as very low (<0.400), low (0.400–0.549), medium (0.550–0.700), and high (>0.700). According to the classification result of CSLSI, 2 districts are found to be in the very low category, 20 districts are under the low sustainability category, 8 districts are in the medium category, and none of the districts are found to be in the high sustainability category. The district of Sambalpur ranks the highest with a CSLSI score of 0.624. The bottom five districts are Gajapati, Bolangir, Nabarangpur, Kandhamal, and Malkangiri, having the CSLSI scores of 0.438, 0.435, 0.406, 0.391, and 0.344, respectively. The result of this study suggests that region-specific, systematic, and proactive approaches are desirable for balanced development in Odisha. Further, policy intervention is required to implement more inclusive tribal welfare policies.

Identification of Sustainable Development Priorities for Agriculture through Sustainable Livelihood Security Indicators for Karnataka, India

To cope with worsening climate change and widening intergenerational equity issues, more impetus should be given to sustainable development. India, predominantly an agrarian economy, faces most pressing issues of sustainable development with a complex territorial hegemony of the population and their dynamic food demands. Regional production systems play a vital role in strengthening national sustainable development priorities in India. Hence, to realize the dimensions of sustainable development in a more meaningful way, sustainability needs to be prioritized in an agrarian economy. Sustainability is a complex phenomenon encompassing economic, ecological and equity dimensions. A modest attempt in this regard has been made to estimate normative sustainable indicators for Karnataka state considering 20 crucial indicators or variables governing different dimensions. Using principal component analysis and linear scoring techniques, a minimum dataset including forest cover, livestock and human population density, and cropping intensity governing ecological issues, groundwater availability and milk availability governing social equity issues, and net cropped area, land productivity, labor productivity, food grain productivity and fertilizer use governing economic efficiency was identified, constituting crucial indicators for the development of the sustainable livelihood security index. The computed index was used to classify districts in Karnataka into various sustainable categories. Among 27 districts, 13 districts were grouped as less sustainable, 4 as highly sustainable and 10 as moderately sustainable categories. This classification and knowledge provide clues for policy makers to transform less sustainable districts into moderately/highly sustainable ones by formulating suitable policies related to crucial factors. Formulated policies on crucial factors have a domino effect/causation effect and bring about desirable changes in all other indicator variables, leading to the sustainable development of the target districts in Karnataka. This approach can be used at different scales in other states in India and in other developing countries.

ASSESSMENT OF BARE NECESSITIES INDEX AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD SECURITY INDEX OF SATARA DISTRICT MAHARASHTRA: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

The present paper examined the estimation and relationship between the Sustainable Livelihood Security Index (SLSI) and Bare Necessities Index (BNI) of rural area in Satara district. It covered four selected tehsils to analyze the relationship between the Sustainable Livelihood Security Index (SLSI) and the Bare Necessities Index (BNI). The exercise of estimation of SLSI based on three main dimensions i.e., social equity, economic efficiency, and ecological security along with its three sub-indicators of each dimension. Likewise. the estimation of BNI of Satara district is based on five main dimensions i.e., access to clean water, sanitation, housing, micro-environment, and other facilities also their 15 sub-indicators. This study observed that Mahabaleshwar tehsil has the lowest BNI and SLSI ranking whereas Koregoan tehsil was highest in BNI and second highest in SLSI. Phaltan tahsil has the highest SLSI whereas second highest in BNI as compared to selected tehsils in Satara district. The Bare Necessities Index (BNI) of Satara district was 0.531 whereas Sustainable Livelihood Security Index (SLSI) 0.566 during study period. Hence overall position of Satara district BNI and SLSI comes under medium category. KEYWORDS: Sustainable Livelihood Security Index, Bare Necessities Index

Assessment of Sustainability and Priorities for Development of Indian West Coast Region: An Application of Sustainable Livelihood Security Indicators

The measurement of sustainability in terms of social, economic, and ecological indicators significantly influences the achievement of sustainable development goals. This paper presents a sustainable livelihood security index (SLSI) by selecting 20 indicators and positions them within the ecological, economic, and social dimensions of sustainable development for the Indian west coast. These indicators were first normalized and, using estimated weights, indices were computed. Important indicators were shortlisted by a two-step process, namely, principal component analysis and linear and nonlinear weighted scores. The results revealed that indicators such as forest cover, net sown area, milk availability, groundwater availability, land productivity, food grain availability, rural road connectivity, villages electrified, and land degradation were found to be important indicators. Kerala was found as the most developed state followed by Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Goa in linear and non-linear weighted scoring. The study identifies the Jamnagar, Junagadh, Kachchh, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg districts as the districts with the highest priority for development through investment and policy interventions. The study concludes that the west coast region, in terms of its sustainable development levels, improved significantly with a focus on low-SLSI districts by considering ecological, economic, and social dimensions in planning for technological development and dissemination.

Development of Sustainable Livelihood Security Index for Different Agro-Climatic Zones of Uttar Pradesh, India

The present study has attempted to examine the livelihood status of nine agro-climatic zones (ACZs) in the State of Uttar Pradesh in India. The United National Development Programme’s (UNDP) methodology has adopted to develop a practical, innovative and ready-to-use sustainable livelihood security index (SLSI) for different ACZs. A total of 84 rational indicators were employed that covered seven dimensions of livelihood security, i.e. infrastructure security, agricultural sustainability, economic security, social security, food security, environmental security, and health security. The quintile estimation was also employed to identify low productive districts with reference to Uttar Pradesh. The performance of ACZs in terms of estimated indices for different dimensions of SLSI has also compared and ranked across developmental indicators. Study findings revealed that Bundelkhand zone has the lowest livelihood security than that of other ACZs. Least access of basic amenities, least social and health security, and higher reliance on agriculture for livelihoods were the main influencing indicators responsible for lower livelihood security in Bundelkhand zone. At the same time, better infrastructural and health facilities and least reliance on agriculture for livelihoods were main contributing indicators for the highest livelihood security in Vindhyan Zone. The present study’s findings also matched with the results of studies conducted by the Planning Commission and NITI Aayog. The policy insights from the analysis suggest the need for prioritising vulnerable and less developed ACZs to arrest regional imbalances, prevent overexploitation and to leverage the unutilised potential of the districts.

Development and application of dairy-based sustainable livelihood security index in the districts of West Bengal, India: A tool for dairy development planning

The concept of sustainable livelihood security has wider generic meaning pertaining to sustainable development to ensure ecologically secure, economically efficient, socially equitable and sufficiency in infrastructure in the society. Dairying provides sufficient income to the farming community of West Bengal. Therefore, sustainability of dairy-based livelihood in the districts of West Bengal was assessed to find out necessary interventions to be required to ensure sustainable livelihood security of dairy farmers. An exclusively district level Dairy-based Sustainable Livelihood Security Index was developed underline the principle of Human Development Index of United Nations Development Programme by using 17 indicators divided into four sub-indices i.e. Ecological Security index, Economic Efficiency Index, Infrastructural Sufficiency Index and Social Equity Index. The overall mean value of Dairy-based Sustainable Livelihood Security Index was found to be 0.38 with a range from 0.12 (Purulia district) to 0.59 (Darjeeling district), indicated the sustainability status was low. In case of sub indices, Infrastructural Sufficiency Index (0.49) and Ecological Security Index (0.45) were stronger indices than other two indices, Economic Efficiency Index (0.32) and Social Equity Index (0.29) which signified the very lower level sustainability. Districts were categorized for better interpretation into four based on overall Sustainable Livelihood Security Index score as very low (less than 0.3), low (0.3–0.54), medium (0.55–0.70) and high (greater than 0.70). Districts namely Maldah, Uttar Dinajpur, Purulia were having very lower level sustainability in dairy-based livelihood. But, it was moderately sustainable in the districts of Darjeeling, Nadia and Hooghly. Hence, Dairy-based Sustainable Livelihood Security Index (SLSI) is not only highlighting the state of sustainability of dairy-based livelihood but also emphasized the area where necessary policy matters to be intervened for improvement of livelihood of dairy farmers.

ANALYSIS OF SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD SECURITY: A CASE STUDY OF ALLAPUR S RURBAN CLUSTER

This study shows the current scenario of sustainable livelihood security index of Allapur S Rurban cluster, located in the newly born Telengana State. Calculating economic efficiency index, ecological security index and social equity index and eventually Sustainable Livelihood Security index (SLSI) were carried out at the village levels using spatial and non-spatial data. Normalisation of the selected indicators were first done and then calculated. Results from the study indicate that the study area possesses a very low SLSI with only Narayanpur and Odandapur village which cover 11.13 per cent of the total geographical area of the cluster as sustainable and secure villages. 59.58 per cent of the geographical area and 65.83 per cent of the population are moderately sustainable category. Whereas, eight villages which accounted for 27.37 per cent population of the total cluster are under less sustainable and very less sustainable category. There is an urgent need to reorient development programmers and carry out priority-wise development investments into these vulnerable villages to provide resources and opportunities to ameliorate their ecological security, economic efficiency and social equity which further sustainable livelihood security.

Impact of Climatic and Non-climatic Factors on Sustainable Livelihood Security in Gujarat State of India: A Statistical Exploration

The present study estimates the district-wise sustainable livelihood security index (SLSI) in Gujarat using Composite Z-score technique during 2000-2011. It considers SLSI as an integrated index of ecological security index (ESI), economic efficiency index (EEI) and social equity index (SEI). Accordingly, it applies linear and non-linear regression models to measure the impact of different climatic factors (i.e., maximum temperature, minimum temperature and precipitation) in winter, spring, summer and autumn seasons on SLSI, ESI, EEI and SEI. It shows that SLSI, ESI, EEI and SEI are varied across districts due to high diversity in socio-economic and ecological factors, and climatic change in Gujarat. Empirical results based on linear and non-linear regression models imply that climatic factors in different weather seasons have a negative and significant impact on SLSI, ESI, EEI and SEI. So, sustainable livelihood security (SLS) would be in an alarming position due to climate change, urbanization, population growth and industrialization in Gujarat. Thus, policy makers need to adopt an effective and conducive policy to mitigate the adverse effects of those factors which have a negative impact on sustainable livelihood security. Hence, this study provides several practical and viable policy suggestions to increase the SLS in Gujarat and other Indian states.

Sustainable livelihoods and rural sustainability in China: Ecologically secure, economically efficient or socially equitable?

Sustainable production and consumption in the rural regions remains a barely tried yet important issue for contributing to rural sustainability these days. In particular, the sustainable livelihood of rural farmers has not been fully investigated for those in rural areas with high agricultural pollution emissions and a poor ecological quality of agricultural production in China. Also affected are farmers with a low living standard and output, or suffer from social inequity. The sustainable livelihood security (SLS) index therefore provides a useful means of identifying the existence of the conditions necessary for sustainable livelihood or sustainable development. Using the fuzzy comprehensive method, this paper aims to assess the level of sustainable livelihood security of China’s provincial farmers and its three components of ecological security, economic efficiency and social equity. A SLS index is established and the entropy weight method used to determine the weight of the indices and analyze spatial distribution. The results indicate that the sustainable livelihood security index and its components vary between provincial regions, with the western provinces being most adversely affected, sustainable livelihood, economic efficiency and social equity being the least secure (or relatively insecure) in the western provinces while economic efficiency is most secure (or relatively secure) in the eastern and middle provinces, and social equity most secure in the eastern provinces. Concluding remarks suggest policies designed to improve the sustainable livelihood security of farmers according to local regional circumstances.

Estimating agricultural sustainability in Gujarat using sustainable livelihood security index

The paper has estimated agricultural sustainability in Gujarat by computing Sustainable Livelihood Security Index (SLSI) for 26 districts of the state using secondary data on various indicators under the ecology, economy and equity heads for the years 2001, 2011 and TE 2013–14. The study has found that in the year 2001, the district Surat (0.584) ranked first in SLSI, while Narmada (0.265) ranked the last. Later in the year 2011, Rajkot (0.589) ranked highest in SLSI, while Porbandar (0.257) ranked the lowest. During the TE 2013–14 too the districts Rajkot and Porbandar maintained their first and last ranks. The paper has suggested some measures for agricultural sustainability in the state in the years to come.

Assessing farm-level agricultural sustainability using site-specific indicators and sustainable livelihood security index: Evidence from Vaishali district, India

Agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy, where two-thirds of the rural community depend on agriculture for their employment. Sustainable agriculture, with its ability to remain productive in the long term, may help ensure food security for communities in India. This article attempts to examine agricultural sustainability among farming communities in Vaishali, India. In order to evaluate agricultural sustainability, we followed the sustainable livelihood security index (SLSI) approach, which is characterized by three interacting components indices (ecological security, economic efficiency, and social equity). We collected data concerning the domains of agricultural sustainability from 959 farmers’ households. The analysis revealed that agricultural sustainability among the farmers decreased as the size of land holdings decreased. Nearly one-third of the total sampled farmers had low agricultural sustainability. Regression analysis showed that economic efficiency and social equity influenced the agricultural sustainability. The SLSI approach helped to identify priorities for attaining farmers’ agricultural sustainability.

Prioritising development planning in the Indian semi-arid Deccan using sustainable livelihood security index approach

This paper presents the status of sustainable livelihood security index (SLSI) of Karnataka, the most drought prone state in the Southern part of India. Computation of ecological security index, economic efficiency index and social equity index, and finally SLSI were carried out at the district level for the entire state, using empirical data. The selected indicators were first normalised, and then using estimated weights, indices were computed. The results indicate that the state has a very low SLSI with only 27.6% of total geographical area (TGA) and 21.7% of population being placed in the ‘sustainable’ and ‘highly sustainable’ categories (covering 10 districts) while only 34% of the TGA covering six districts falls in the ‘moderately sustainable’ category. The remaining area, confined mostly to the northern parts of the state, comprising 14 districts (51.8% of the state’s TGA) is categorised as ‘less sustainable’ and ‘very less sustainable’ exposing 44.4% (27.14 million) of state’s population to the perils of uncertain rainfall, high soil erosion rates, high social inequality and poor resource use efficiency. There is an urgent need to reorient development programmes and prioritise development investments in these vulnerable districts so that they are provided resources and opportunities to improve their ecological (more forest cover and less soil erosion), economic (higher agricultural productivity) and social (improved health and education facilities and rural infrastructure) status and achieve sustainable levels of livelihood.

Assessing Spatiotemporal Variation in Agricultural Sustainability Using Sustainable Livelihood Security Index: Empirical Illustration from Vaishali District of Bihar, India

This article analyzes spatiotemporal variation in agricultural sustainability in a backward state of Bihar. It creates a sustainable livelihood security index (SLSI) for agricultural sustainability and evaluates its existing status at the block level in Vaishali district. The persistently increasing inequality, improper management of resources, natural calamities, and exponential population growth have created a significant threat to the successful development of sustainable agricultural in the study area. SLSI as a composite index of its three components of ecological security index (ESI), economic efficiency index (EEI), and social equity index (SEI) works as a powerful policy tool for identifying the necessary conditions for sustainable development of agriculture in planning and development units of Vaishali district, Bihar. SLSI-based spatiotemporal analysis revealed that there is wide variation in agricultural sustainability and its three aspects (ESI, EEI, and SEI) within blocks during 2000–2003 and 2007–2010. SLSI has also proved to be effective planning instrument for analyzing the performance and changing status of three aspects of sustainable development of agriculture in different blocks of the district. SLSI identified blocks which require immediate attention for sustainable development of agriculture (SDA) and helped to focus the priorities for attaining livelihood security. Thus, SLSI approach can best be utilized for assessing sustainable development of agriculture and creating holistic perspective of environment and socioeconomic development of the region.

Sustainable livelihood security index in a developing country: A tool for development planning

The paper presents an overview of the existing indicators of development and positions them within the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainable development. It presents empirical evidence of sustainable livelihood security index (SLSI) at the district level in Gujarat. SLSI is a composite index having three component indices, i.e. the ecological security index (ESI), the economic efficiency index (EEI), and the social equity index (SEI). It finds that the SLSI based on its simplicity and flexibility, is one of the most comprehensive yet simple indices for measuring long-term livelihood security in rural areas. For instance, the eastern districts of the state, dominated by scheduled tribes’ population have very low EEI and SEI rankings, although they have high ESI ranking. These districts also have very low ranks in gender development index, education index, health index and housing index. Thus, the SLSI not only identifies the general priorities for development but also the nature and types of policies to be pursued in each study unit to enhance livelihood security. The SLSI facilitates consensus among different partisan groups like economists, environmentalists, and egalitarians by balancing their mutual concerns, could provide guidelines for achieving sustainable development. It can function as an educational and a policy tool for promoting a holistic perspective among planners, administrators, and development workers.

Ecotechnology in industrial practice: implementation using sustainability indices and case studies

The paper explains how to design eco-sustainable technologies, following the pathway from ‘high-tech’ to ‘clean/er tech’ and to ecologically as well as societally sustainable ‘eco-tech’. ‘Eco-principles’ are derived from the ecosphere, representing the intelligence of nature as the result of evolution, and serve as guideline for the general eco-restructuring of technology and many other areas of society, e.g., education and landscapes. Indices for the estimation of sustainability with its four dimensions (economical, social, ecological and technical) are presented, the sustainable livelihood security index (SLSI), the sustainable process index (SPI) and a general index (SI) are formulated. Case studies illustrate the achieved ecological sustainability by applying the SPI in case of bioprocesses for industrial productions: drinking water denitrification, control agents in agriculture and polymers comparing the biological with the chemical production.