Livelihood Diversification and Income Structure of Forest Adjacent Villages of The Western Himalayas, India

Rural livelihoods in the Western Himalayas are influenced by fragile agro-ecological conditions, proximity to forest resources, and limited economic alternatives. Increasingly, it is becoming insufficient for rural families to rely solely on agricultural production (which depends exclusively on rainfall) to maintain an adequate level of income security. This paper looks at the overall structure of household livelihoods and how income diversification has allowed rural families living in forest adjacent villages within Chakrata Block, Uttarakhand to build successful, sustainable livelihoods. Primary data was collected from 173 households from a randomly selected sample of 10 villages using a structured household survey. A cross-sectional descriptive research design was adopted for the analysis. Descriptive statistics and comparative cross-tabulation were used for data analysis. Results show that agriculture remains the most important livelihood activity for families. However, families that combine agricultural activity with paid employment in the form of a salary; number of livestock owned; and involvement in agroforestry consistently have higher incomes than families that do not diversify their incomes. As such, income diversification is a critical risk-buffering mechanism within rain-fed rural systems of the Himalayas. Findings support the need for integrated rural development policy that strengthen agricultural production systems; but at the same time develop alternative sources of income to improve resilient livelihoods and diminish reliance on forest-based resources.