438
M. Goswami and S. Nautiyal
The central concept of this paper is based on sustainability of resources extracted
for livelihoods are dependent on the oscillation of interactive controls within the
resilience of the ecosystem. Interactive controls of such peri-urban landscape may be
land use, local climate, soil quality, disturbance regime etc. The pattern of availability
and use of natural resources will help in maintaining the interactive controls by using
laws and regulations to create negative feedbacks between ecosystems and human
activities (Chapin et al. 1996). The definition of sustainability for the urpose of this
research involves non-degrading resources and economic development of natural
resource dependent communities. The objectives of the paper are: (1) To discuss the
issues pertaining to peri-urban interface of India based on previous studies (2) To
assess the pattern of aquatic and forest resource use in last three decades across the
landscape (3) to examine the unsustainable practices prevalent in the landscape that
affect the natural resource base and subsequent livelihood assets.
2 Methodology
The association between ecosystem and human is prominent in rural and peri-urban
landscapes where direct dependency on natural resources is higher than urban areas.
Analysis of livelihoods distribution and its changing pattern give an overall account
of the changing landscape as the recent developments in livelihood assessment frameworks are multidimensional, particularly assets (DFID 1999; FAO/ILO 2009) and
landscape (Sheil et al. 2002; WWF 2009) approaches. Livelihood frameworks have
been found as an effective construct for decentralized natural resource management.
Thus, assessing natural resource as livelihood asset (e.g.- asset model, asset vulnerability framework) in the vulnerable peri-urban interface is becoming a common
tool. In this paper, assessment of two natural assets of livelihoods- forest and aquatic
resources have been discussed. The present study is based on primary data collected
through household survey conducting empirical study in the rural-urban transect
by selecting the households. The information collected following the questionnaire
survey was cross verified through actual investigations in field, e.g.—for example
various kind of resource collection from nature (forests and aquatic). Fish catching
points were visited to estimate the fish caught per day for a few selected households.
Assessment of income from different sources were verified by visiting local markets.
Fuelwood and other forest products are usually collected and carried on walk load or
bicycle load through a few definite routes connecting the forest and villages. A random survey of 10–12 h on junctions of those routes were carried out to authenticate
the data on forest resources.
The mapping for delineating study region was done using the base map available
at development block with participatory mapping exercise to demarcate the study
landscape. Spatial extent of interaction with natural resources and road networks has
been taken as the criteria for delineation of the landscape. To study the landscape
dynamics three decades period was taken for detailed understanding. To see the
impact of urbanization the area is divided into 3 parts according to the extent of
M. Goswami and S. Nautiyal
The central concept of this paper is based on sustainability of resources extracted
for livelihoods are dependent on the oscillation of interactive controls within the
resilience of the ecosystem. Interactive controls of such peri-urban landscape may be
land use, local climate, soil quality, disturbance regime etc. The pattern of availability
and use of natural resources will help in maintaining the interactive controls by using
laws and regulations to create negative feedbacks between ecosystems and human
activities (Chapin et al. 1996). The definition of sustainability for the urpose of this
research involves non-degrading resources and economic development of natural
resource dependent communities. The objectives of the paper are: (1) To discuss the
issues pertaining to peri-urban interface of India based on previous studies (2) To
assess the pattern of aquatic and forest resource use in last three decades across the
landscape (3) to examine the unsustainable practices prevalent in the landscape that
affect the natural resource base and subsequent livelihood assets.
2 Methodology
The association between ecosystem and human is prominent in rural and peri-urban
landscapes where direct dependency on natural resources is higher than urban areas.
Analysis of livelihoods distribution and its changing pattern give an overall account
of the changing landscape as the recent developments in livelihood assessment frameworks are multidimensional, particularly assets (DFID 1999; FAO/ILO 2009) and
landscape (Sheil et al. 2002; WWF 2009) approaches. Livelihood frameworks have
been found as an effective construct for decentralized natural resource management.
Thus, assessing natural resource as livelihood asset (e.g.- asset model, asset vulnerability framework) in the vulnerable peri-urban interface is becoming a common
tool. In this paper, assessment of two natural assets of livelihoods- forest and aquatic
resources have been discussed. The present study is based on primary data collected
through household survey conducting empirical study in the rural-urban transect
by selecting the households. The information collected following the questionnaire
survey was cross verified through actual investigations in field, e.g.—for example
various kind of resource collection from nature (forests and aquatic). Fish catching
points were visited to estimate the fish caught per day for a few selected households.
Assessment of income from different sources were verified by visiting local markets.
Fuelwood and other forest products are usually collected and carried on walk load or
bicycle load through a few definite routes connecting the forest and villages. A random survey of 10–12 h on junctions of those routes were carried out to authenticate
the data on forest resources.
The mapping for delineating study region was done using the base map available
at development block with participatory mapping exercise to demarcate the study
landscape. Spatial extent of interaction with natural resources and road networks has
been taken as the criteria for delineation of the landscape. To study the landscape
dynamics three decades period was taken for detailed understanding. To see the
impact of urbanization the area is divided into 3 parts according to the extent of