Impact of North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project for Upland Areas (NERCORMP) on Overall Socio-Economic and Livelihood Status of Farming Communities in Assam, India

Study was conducted in both the implementing districts viz., Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao of NERCORMP in Assam during 2014-15 by taking 204 respondents. Study revealed that for almost all the assets, respondents’ possession percentage as well as average number asset per household remained higher in case of beneficiary respondents in comparison to non-beneficiary respondents. Because of the project intervention, overall area under crops like Panikheti, plantation crops, banana, orange, areca nut etc. increased significantly, whereas number of households practising ‘Jhuming’ as a viable livelihood management strategy declined. Among the beneficiary respondents, average income per household per year recorded much higher, as compared non-beneficiary respondents. Similarly, expenditure also remained more among the beneficiary respondents than non-beneficiary respondents. After intervention of NERCORMP, status of creation of assets viz., human asset, physical asset, social asset and food security asset increased significantly that finally led to significant increase of overall asset position for respondent beneficiaries. Most of independent variables considered here maintained non-significant relationship with creation of any of the asset in the study area.