Occupational Transition and Incidence of Poverty: A Study of Char Dwellers in Majuli, Assam
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Author: Bondita Saikia
Author Address: Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Jorhat College (Amalgamated), Jorhat-785001 (Assam)
Keywords: Income vulnerability, livelihood diversification, rural resilience, socio-economic mobility.
JEL Codes: I32, J62, O15, Q18.
Abstract
The study aimed to analyse the nature and magnitude of occupational transformation and its implications for poverty among char dwellers in Majuli Island, Assam. A field study was conducted from 399 households across five panchayats to achieve the objective. The study employed indices such as the Occupational Change Index (OCI), Livelihood Sustainability Index (LSI), Vulnerability as Uninsured Exposure to Risks (VER), and Vulnerability as Expected Poverty (VEP). There was a shift from farming and fishing to unstable jobs. However, vulnerability remained high. Still, 68 per cent of households remain vulnerable due to insecure livelihoods and weak safety nets. The occupational changes driven by environmental degradation will perpetuate poverty rather than alleviate it in the absence of targeted livelihood diversification, flood insurance, and adaptive capacity-building policies.
Description
Indian J Econ Dev, 2026, 22(2), 290-298
https://doi.org/10.35716/IJED-24369