Indian Pastoralism Amidst Changing Climate and Land Use: Evidence from Dhangar Community of Semi-arid Region of Maharashtra

Abstract

Indian pastoralism is under-documented and it needs more exploration to understand various factors affecting it. The impact of climate change on Indian pastoralism is not studied comprehensively, and Dhangar, a nomadic pastoral community, is missing in the literature on climate change studies. In the recent two decades, many profound changes have been observed in the pastoral livelihood system of Dhangars, and these are badly affecting its sustainability. The study was carried out to understand the impact of climate and land use change on the livelihood of Dhangars. The study was done using a qualitative research approach. The study findings show that environmental and climatic changes have led to the unusual monsoon cycle and increasing temperature, further affecting ecosystem services like grasslands and forests, water resources availability, and the emergence of new diseases. It has badly affected Dhangars and the sustenance of the age-old pastoral livelihood system. The study has also concluded that land use changes are affecting pastoralists’ access to pasture and grazing resources. In this context, the state's response to addressing the pastoralists’ vulnerabilities is inadequate. Therefore, understanding the impact of climate and land use change on the livelihood of pastoralists is very important to fill this knowledge gap.