摘要
Home gardens serve as a crucial adaptation strategy for tribal communities in Keonjhar district,Odisha,enhancing food security,income generation,and climate resilience.This study examines the role of home gardens in sustaining tribal livelihoods while addressing challenges such as climate variability,soil degradation,and market constraints.Adopting a mixed-methods approach,it integrates the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework(SLF)and socio-ecological resilience theory.Data from 120 tribal households across four villages in Banspal block were collected through structured interviews and focus group discussions.A key innovation lies in integrating indigenous knowledge systems with the Problem Facing Index(PFI)methodology to generate quantified,community-driven insights on climate adaptation barriers.Findings reveal that home gardens contribute around ₹10,000 per season to household income,reducing market dependency by over 70% during crises such as the COVID-19 lockdown.Over 75% of households face high to medium challenges due to climate variability(PFI=252),soil degradation(PFI=251),and wildlife intrusions(PFI=250).Other notable constraints include pests(75%)and poor market access(61.7%).Although 82.5% reported no issue with agricultural inputs,water scarcity remains a seasonal concern for 23%.Despite constraints,home gardens were found to enhance all five SLF capitals:natural,human,social,financial,and physical.The study recommends contextsensitive interventions,including seed distribution,organic inputs,weather-based advisories,and strengthened institutional support.It highlights the potential for scaling home garden models across other marginalized agroecological regions in India and Asia,aligning them with national rural development and climate adaptation programs.
