Community Forest and Rural Household Dependency in Mining Region: A Micro-Analysis in Odisha, India

摘要

The present paper attempts to analyse the households' dependency on community forest for their livelihood and food security in the mining region of Odisha. Mining has caused the highest forest-land loss in Odisha. Using z-test, f-test, and t-test, it has been found that extraction of minerals has not only caused shifting of livelihood from forest-based to mining related work but also has significantly reduced the dependence of households on forest products for consumption. In addition, it has reduced the contribution of forest to food security as calorie intake from forest food is significantly less in mining households than their non-mining counterparts. As the life span of a mine is finite, what will happen when the mines close? Thus, this calls for a policy intervention to carry out mining operations in a sustainable manner so that natural resources like forest are not sacrificed for short-term economic gains.