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TERI SAS launches M.Sc. (Energy Studies & Management)
Understanding the vulnerability of rural livelihoods of East and South Sikkim across the different seasons

Student name: Ms Vishaka Gulati
Guide: Dr Chubamenla Jamir
Year of completion: 2015
Host Organisation: The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Ms Suruchi Bhadwal
Abstract: There is a clear indication through various studies that mountain areas, especially those situated in the Northern Hemisphere are among the ecosystems are expected to be most vulnerable to climate change. The variability in the climatic factors impacts almost every other aspect of the environment and human enterprise including biodiversity, hydrology and livelihood. The local communities in the study area have already started coping with the changes and variability in the climate using their traditional skill sets and knowledge, as well as with the help from various governmental and non-governmental institutes present in the region. However, in this region not many studies have been carried out to assess the impact of environmental change and variability on the livelihoods of the rural communities. In this study, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools like transect walks, focus group discussions (FGDs), semi structured interviews (SSIs) etc. were used to understand the effect of climate variability and change on the major livelihood activities of the local communities. The study shows that the vulnerability of livelihoods does not remain same throughout the year but varies seasonally. Using the same PRA tools, institutional mapping was carried out in both the districts to identify the major governmental and nongovernmental institutions helping the people in adapting to the changes. SWOT analysis for the institutional capacity in the region reveals that a considerable number of government institutes such as agriculture, horticulture, tourism and, RMD departments and few Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are quite active in both the regions and are helping people in adapting to the changes. Keywords: climate change, Participatory Rural Appraisal, SWOT, adaptation strategies, Sikkim.