Food security status of squatter dwellers and coping strategies in food insecurity: a case from Bansighat squatter of Kathmandu in Nepal
Student name: Mr Dal Bahadur Shahi
Guide: Dr Chubamenla Jamir
Year of completion: 2014
Host Organisation: Conscious Civil Society Nepal
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Mr Gopal Khadka
Abstract: The main purpose of this paper is to assess the food security status of squatter dwelling households and explore
the coping strategies in food scarcity situation. Household survey and observation schedule was adopted to
collect primary data. Independent sample t-test and One-way ANOVA was used to compare the food insecurity
status among different household group. Standard multiple regressions was conducted to define the association
between variables. Cronbach’s alpha test was used to test internal consist of the scales and results shows that
all the scales are reliable (Cronbach’s alpha value >.7).
Result shows that approximately 1/4th of the household head were female headship. 31.4% of household head
were illiterate and 25% of household’s monthly income was found to be less than NRS 5000. Similarly, more
than half (56.9%) of the household were food insecure and 76.5% have low level of HDDS. Literacy level of
household head, family size, and number of currently employed family members, average monthly income of
household, average monthly expenditure of household on food items and household SLI were found to be having
significance association with HFIAS of Squatter dwelling household. The study also suggests that severity of
food insecurity vary according to socio-economic characteristics of households. Dalit, Family size <3, Female
headship, Low SLI, Low income, Wage labourer, and illiterate household headship households were more food
insecure.
Similarly, analysis shows that in response to food scarcity, squatter dwelling household were adopting
combination of different strategies to cope up with food insecurity situation, based on the option offered by
internal resource endowment and their access to external resources assistances. 2/3rd of the household adopt
using loan as coping strategy in food scarcity situation and followed by use of saving, begging, sleep hungry
and eating little food.
Key words: Squatter dwellers, HFIAS, HHS, HDDS, coping strategy
