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Linking ecosystem services with the constituents of human well-being for poverty alleviation in eastern Himalayas

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  • Sandhu, Harpinder
  • Sandhu, Sukhbir

Abstract

Dependence of rural poor on local ecosystems for livelihood has potential to accelerate loss of ecosystem services. In this study, we use ecosystem services concept to investigate poverty and ecosystem interactions in the Darjeeling district, West Bengal, India which is a part of the eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot. First, we assessed multidimensional poverty in six villages (57 households) in the region using household surveys. Chronic poverty existed in all the six villages in the study area and the cash income per capita per day was US$ 0.16–0.34 which is far below the international standards of defining poverty on income basis. Second, we identified five direct and three indirect drivers of ecosystem change through semi-structured interviews with the head of the households. Then we identified linkages between ecosystem services and basic human needs. These linkages were used to identify measures to improve livelihood of rural poor. The major outcome of this study is in highlighting the ecosystem-based approach to improve livelihood of rural poor.

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  • Sandhu, Harpinder & Sandhu, Sukhbir, 2014. "Linking ecosystem services with the constituents of human well-being for poverty alleviation in eastern Himalayas," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 65-75.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:107:y:2014:i:c:p:65-75
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2014.08.005
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    2. Wang, Bojie & Tang, Haiping & Xu, Ying, 2017. "Integrating ecosystem services and human well-being into management practices: Insights from a mountain-basin area, China," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 27(PA), pages 58-69.
    3. Hirons, M. & Robinson, E. & McDermott, C. & Morel, A. & Asare, R. & Boyd, E. & Gonfa, T. & Gole, T.W. & Malhi, Y. & Mason, J. & Norris, K., 2018. "Understanding Poverty in Cash-crop Agro-forestry Systems: Evidence from Ghana and Ethiopia," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 31-41.
    4. Ando Fahda Aulia & Harpinder Sandhu & Andrew C. Millington, 2020. "Quantifying the Economic Value of Ecosystem Services in Oil Palm Dominated Landscapes in Riau Province in Sumatra, Indonesia," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-23, June.
    5. Shan, Haiyan & Yang, Junliang, 2019. "Sustainability of photovoltaic poverty alleviation in China: An evolutionary game between stakeholders," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 181(C), pages 264-280.
    6. Cruz-Garcia, Gisella S. & Sachet, Erwan & Blundo-Canto, Genowefa & Vanegas, Martha & Quintero, Marcela, 2017. "To what extent have the links between ecosystem services and human well-being been researched in Africa, Asia, and Latin America?," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 201-212.
    7. Partho Protim Mondal & Yili Zhang, 2018. "Research Progress on Changes in Land Use and Land Cover in the Western Himalayas (India) and Effects on Ecosystem Services," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-14, November.
    8. Yu Wei & Siyuan He & Gang Li & Xutu Chen & Linlu Shi & Guangchun Lei & Yang Su, 2019. "Identifying Nature–Community Nexuses for Sustainably Managing Social and Ecological Systems: A Case Study of the Qianjiangyuan National Park Pilot Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(21), pages 1-19, November.
    9. Shoyama, Kikuko & Kamiyama, Chiho & Morimoto, Junko & Ooba, Makoto & Okuro, Toshiya, 2017. "A review of modeling approaches for ecosystem services assessment in the Asian region," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 26(PB), pages 316-328.
    10. Eric Yaw Naminse & Jincai Zhuang, 2018. "Does farmer entrepreneurship alleviate rural poverty in China? Evidence from Guangxi Province," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(3), pages 1-18, March.
    11. Zhang, Huiming & Xu, Zhidong & Sun, Chuanwang & Elahi, Ehsan, 2018. "Targeted poverty alleviation using photovoltaic power: Review of Chinese policies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 550-558.
    12. Delgado, Luisa E. & Marín, Víctor H., 2016. "Well-being and the use of ecosystem services by rural households of the Río Cruces watershed, southern Chile," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 21(PA), pages 81-91.

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