Impacts of hydropower development on rural livelihood sustainability in Sikkim, India: Community perceptions

Abstract

Mountain economies are undergoing transformation from traditional agrarian to more industrial or service-oriented economies. Such changes invariably have socioeconomic impacts on nearby communities and lead to fragmentation and rural depopulation. Sikkim, a small state of India in the Eastern Himalayas, has recently embarked on a program of hydroelectricity project construction. This study examined community perceptions of the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of these projects in 3 rural areas and considers implications for future sustainable livelihoods. While benefits such as employment have accrued to the rural community from these economic development projects, changes in land use..