Abstract
The present study applies a composite index, after compensating livelihood vulnerability index and climatic vulnerability index, where the core part lies with the foundation of IPCC’s model. The encompassing subject of appraisal is the multidimensional poverty and vulnerability conditions of snake charmers in two eastern states of India (Bihar and Odisha), due to external shocks and stressors coming from the stringent environment laws and the effect of globalization. Here, three major dimensions (i.e. exposure, adaptive capacity and sensitivity), eight major components (i.e. socio-demographic profile, livelihood strategies, social network, food, health, water, impact of laws, and impact of globalization), and 82 sub-components or indicators have been integrated in accordance with the requirement of the study, for addressing the survival vulnerability of this marginal group. Based on the survey of 208 (Bihar) and 226 (Odisha) household data, a customized index is computed and varied dimension-wise and major component-wise vulnerabilities are compared spatially. The results have established almost similar scenarios of survival vulnerability of snake charmers across the states. Whereas in the two respective states the dimension of exposure is higher than rest dimensions like adaptive capacity and sensitivity, and this dimension indirectly affects the other two, which creates the ultimate vulnerability and not only reduces the resiliencies for adaptation but also enhance the magnitude of sensitivity. This pragmatic SuVI would be useful for assessing the vulnerability of any marginal group and also for reframing crisis-oriented policy and program, precisely for breaking the ‘chain’ of the vicious circle of misery from snake charmers’ lives.
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Source: Developed by authors (based on IPCC’s model 2007)
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Acknowledgements
Firstly, the authors would like to acknowledge the academicians and scientists without their initial contributions (in model building as well as computation) it would be near impossible to build the bases of this study. Secondly, they like to acknowledge the anonymous reviewers for their valuable suggestions and comments, and thirdly anonymous snake charmers, from Bihar and Odisha, who build the foundation of the study.
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This study was not funded by any authority (Government, Private, or any Society of India or Abroad). This study is an enhanced part of doctoral dissertation of the first author. Therefore, this academic work was pursued by the authors and on the basis of self-finance.
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Authors declare that they have no potential conflict of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article. The ideas presented are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the institution, they employed (Kaliachak College), or position of the institution from where they were awarded Ph.D. (Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, India).
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The ground survey was entirely conducted by the authors, thus there was no scope to obtain consent from any field assistant(s). And the authors had taken necessary consents from all individual participants, or respondents (from Bihar and Odisha), included in the study.
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Halder, S., Paul, S. Modeling multidimensional poverty and vulnerability of snake charmers: a cross-state comparative analysis of Bihar and Odisha, India. Model. Earth Syst. Environ. 6, 2623–2643 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-020-00854-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-020-00854-2