Assessing Rural Livelihood Sustainability through Field-Based Analysis: Evidence from Champawat & Almora District of Uttarakhand

This study examines the sustainability of rural livelihoods in the context of four blocks of Uttarakhand: Champawat, Lohaghat, Tarikhet, and Hawalbag. Using primary data collected from 344 respondents, the research analyses income sources, resource access, social capital, livelihood risks, and the role of government schemes in supporting sustainable living. The findings highlight key challenges and suggest policy directions for improving livelihood resilience in hilly rural regions. This paper aims to improve development policy debates by providing a better understanding of migration. The paper begins with the notion that migration’s role in reducing poverty is neglected in these discussions: Policies either aim to reduce migration implicitly or explicitly or ignore migration. Although the paper identifies potentially harmful aspects of migration, including rising inequality and other effects on those who remain behind, the emphasis is on the beneficial role migration plays for poor households. The paper, drawing on recently published literature on sustainable livelihoods, asserts that we need to gain a better understanding of poor people’s abilities and strategies from their unique point of view, and that this will help in improving development policies.