Published Paper Details:

Resource development, management and governance are crucial components which raise the productivity, protection and institutional arrangements to guide resource management. The practices of land and water Focus on water harvesting and soil conservation which state three objectives (Kerr, 2007): conservation and strengthen the natural resource base, make agriculture and other natural resource-based activities more productive, and rural livelihoods to alleviate poverty. In seasonally dry areas where water and land use practices focus on water harvesting, the natural resource base in question generally includes soil, water, agricultural land, pastures and forests. Steps to strengthen one of these natural resources inevitably affect others and the livelihoods that depend on them. The present paper has made an attempt to examine the different dimensions of the role of micro-level environment elements to sustain the livelihoods of small and marginal farmers. The objective of the paper is to examine the effectiveness of land and water use practices of small marginal farmers and to understand the livelihood security under the existing water and land use practices. The paper is based on a field based study done during 2022 in two community development blocks viz. Labpur and Illambazar of Birbhum District of West Bengal. Water and land use practices in the two community development blocks is to bring together the various dimensions of natural resources development under an overarching perspective of equitable, productive and sustainable development. These local level practices in tune to climate change and locally available resource base are desirable where micro-environment element interventions are more suitable to meet climate change effects at local level.