Ecological Change and Migration of Fisherfolk: A Study of Ramsar Wetland, Loktak Lake, in Manipur, India

Avijit Mistri, Manipur University

Loktak Lake, a Ramsar wetland in northeast India, is under tremendous threat of ecological deterioration, which affects life underwater and perils livelihoods. The study examines the ecological threats in fishing and the livelihood strategies in response to the crisis. Migration, a prominent livelihood strategy, is brought under the gamut of the discussion, and influencing factors for likelihood of labour migration are investigated through a case-controlled study. The study blends qualitative and quantitative techniques- participatory risk mapping, thematic mapping using web-based AI, and Binary Logistic Regression model based on the Sustainable Livelihood Approach. Ecological risks- phumdi proliferation, water pollution, declining fish species, lowering depth and submergence of agro-land- are grave concerns. Compared to non-ecological risks, ecological issues have been portrayed predominantly in the subjective risk mapping in terms of wider concern and impact. The migration in the study follows the presumption of the New Economics of Labour Migration theory, where households make decisions and diversify income by distributing their labour portfolio across sectors to ensure a constant remittance flow. The migration pattern is temporary, short-distance, and cyclic. Migration here is a win-win solution- reduces pressure on resources and facilitates conservation; visa-a-vis helps to eliminate poverty and promote good health and well-being.

Keywords: Population, Environment, and Climate Change, Internal Migration and Urbanization, Migrant Populations and Refugees

See paper.