Keywords
Livelihood Security
Local Community
Sustainability
How to Cite
Abstract
Introduction. Human activities cause ongoing disruption to natural systems and affect the way rivers behave in mountain ecosystems. Growing population, depletion of resources, changes in consumption, economic expansion, and unsustainable farming practices put immense pressure on natural and water resources. Objective. This paper examines the impact of water resources on natural resources and the livelihood of local people using traditional and new scientific techniques adopted by the locals. Methodology. A Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) involved research in different villages to understand the actual conditions of natural resource management and the livelihood options of key stakeholders. Results. The Dewal Block, Uttarakhand, India, has abundant natural resources that can meet the daily needs of local people. While the area receives sufficient rainfall, water drains to foothills due to steep slopes, lack of vegetation, and inefficient use of modern technology. Local communities have developed innovative techniques that are culturally accepted, economically feasible, and highly efficient. These include the chal-khal system, pit technology, guls/kuls, among others. Conclusion. The techniques help to enhance the living standards of the locals by actively involving them in the water resource management process. This facilitates ecological restoration, stream rejuvenation, and sustainable livelihood generation.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2023 Arvind Kumar, Bindhy Wasini Pandey, Abhay Shankar Prasad, Usha Pathak, Amit Kant Awasthi
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