Political ecology and hydrosocial relation: a study on drought and associated migration in a semi-arid district of West Bengal, India

Chhanda Ruj (), Aloke Majumdar () and Somnath Ghosal ()
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Chhanda Ruj: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Aloke Majumdar: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Somnath Ghosal: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)

Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences, 2022, vol. 15, issue 3, No 25, 709-734

Abstract: Abstract Conversion of forests towards dam construction and agrarian development results in substantial hydrological cycle fluctuations, such as recurrent and prolonged water scarcity. There have been extensive literature evaluations done to better comprehend the interplay between human and ecological variables that influence land-use and land-cover and associated hazards across time. Work to date failed to consider how social impact i.e. human migration, is influenced by the produced drought. In Purulia, vast woodland were destroyed during the precolonial period, and massive development initiatives took place in the post-colonial era. The current study aims to understand the impact of drought hazards on migration in produced nature. Development in the form of dam construction, agricultural growth, and industrial expansion has been found to significantly influenced Purulia’s poor and marginalised community. The complex interaction of economic development initiatives with the ecological niche results in the destruction of ecosystem services, worsening the case-study population’s nutritional, water, and employment insecurity. Because of these effects, people from different social strata began to migrate in search of better opportunities. It shows an important trend that capacity of the people is strongly influenced by hydrosocial transformation thereby driving human migration, which can increase in the coming era of climate change.

Keywords: Land-use change; Ecosystem services; Water scarcity; Migration; Climate change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I38 N55 Q23 Q24 Q25 Q57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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DOI: 10.1007/s12076-022-00321-9

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