Implications of Land Use Land Cover Transformation for Gendered Livelihoods: Insights from Moyna Basin of Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India

Abstract

The Moyna basin of West Bengal is experiencing a rapid transformation in land use and land cover (LULC) as waterbodies are rapidly increasing at the expense of low-lying agricultural lands. The transformation in the LULC pattern in Moyna basin has been studied earlier based on the focus of climate change, biodiversity and other environmental issues. However, very little is known about the implications of this transformation on gender roles, responsibilities and livelihoods. This study examines the interconnectedness between LULC transformation and its differential impact on the livelihoods and workload of men and women using an intersectional perspective in three villages across Moyna block. The data were collected using a mixed-method approach and comprised of three major sources of information—observations, photographs and interviews. Results show that the changes in LULC have occurred partly as an impact of climate change and partly due to the inclination towards aquaculture due to decline in profitability of agriculture and farming practices. In the context of these livelihood changes, a fundamental shift in gendered roles has occurred. It has been found that the switch to aquaculture has led to two prominent outcomes, that is, depeasantisation of agricultural workers and defeminisation of the overall workforce. While women and men were equally displaced from agriculture with the advent of aquaculture, women were faced with additional challenges of unequal social gender norms and limited opportunities for alternative employment. It further shows that, the impacts of land use change on livelihoods are diverse and is a complex process as factors, like—class, caste, patriarchal family relations, family structure and the nature of the labour market intersect with gender and it also makes some women more vulnerable than other men and women.