Livelihood Variation in Rudraprayag District of Garhwal Himalaya: Implications for Poverty Reduction

Sustainable livelihoods are achieved through access to a range of livelihood resources which are combined in the pursuit of different livelihood strategies (agricultural intensification or extensification, livelihood diversification and migration). This study investigates the variations in livelihood strategies across different blocks of Rudraprayag District to assess their impact on poverty reduction. This paper emphasizes understanding the variation in livelihood strategies within and between the blocks to understand the quality of life in the villages of the district Rudraprayag. The study identifies factors linked to the socio-economic attributes of individuals engaged in various income-generating activities. This analysis is essential to understand the mechanism of livelihood strategy changes within and between the blocks of the district Rudraprayag. The result of the study shows that people are mainly dependent on tourism, agriculture, animal husbandry and vegetable cultivation for their livelihood. A random sampling method was used to select the villages. Semi-structured questionnaire and interview method were used to understand the importance of resources for livelihood generation. The data gathered from each selected village was compiled and analyzed by using SPSS 16. A higher proportion of households (57.6%) of Agustmuni block depend on agricultural activities, while the majority of people of Jakholi and Ukhimath block depend on remittances (65.1) and agriculture (55.8), respectively. Analysis of the socio-economic characteristics of rural households reveals that age, labour endowment and education in terms of access to basic infrastructure are some of the barriers that poor households face to enter into high-return livelihood strategies. The study indicated that the role of assets such as social capital, land, property, savings and labour is central in determining the outcomes of livelihood activities as measured by income and well-being.