Rural Livelihoods in Distress- The Case of District Mewat (Haryana)

Abstract

Ensuring rural livelihood security in a sustainable manner is a crucial issue that is increasingly gaining ground in all poverty alleviation policy discourse in India. The viability of rural livelihoods is contingent upon the context of an area and the resultant access to adequate resources or capital assets. This paper examines the contextual factors and constraints impeding livelihoods in Mewat, a backward district in Haryana. The study builds on a referenced literature review, secondary data and the primary empirical data obtained through participatory livelihood analysis carried out in five selected villages. In doing so, the demographic characteristics, livelihood activities, asset portfolios and associated problems in respective villages have been assessed. The study locale is found to be beset by a plethora of impediments and characterized with very low capital asset endowments. The paper thus attempts to offer important insights into the main arenas of policy or project interventions for mitigation of distress and optimizing livelihood potential in the district.

Keywords: Rural Livelihoods, Mewat, Capital Assets

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