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VOL. 8, ISSUE 1 (2026)
Ecological footprint assessment of tribal and non-tribal communities in Purulia District: A comparative study
Authors
Dr. Samir Pramanik, Dr. Bela Das
Abstract
Sustainable resource management in
ecologically sensitive regions requires understanding how different social
groups experience different ecological pressures. The study assesses the
ecological footprint (EF) of tribal and non-tribal communities in Purulia
District, West Bengal, which show distinct differences in their livelihood
strategies and cultural practices and their access to natural resources. The
assessment uses household data about fuelwood consumption and agricultural land
use and grazing needs and livestock patterns and energy usage together with
secondary data about land productivity and forest biomass availability. The
study found that tribal households create a larger forest footprint because
they depend heavily on fuelwood and non-timber forest products and their
traditional practice of open grazing. The non-tribal households create a bigger
cropland and carbon footprint because they use mechanised agriculture and
chemical fertilisers and have bigger livestock holdings and higher dependency
on LPG and electricity. The analysis shows that tribal areas face a forest
ecological deficit while non-tribal areas experience cropland and carbon
deficits because different communities apply different types of ecological
pressure. The study found that Purulia needs specific programs for clean
household energy and sustainable agricultural practices and forest restoration
and community-based resource governance systems which should be designed to
meet the requirements of tribal and non-tribal populations.
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Pages:47-53
How to cite this article:
Dr. Samir Pramanik, Dr. Bela Das "Ecological footprint assessment of tribal and non-tribal communities in Purulia District: A comparative study". International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Vol 8, Issue 1, 2026, Pages 47-53
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