Geographic patterns and dimensions of poverty in the Indian Himalayan region

Despite India's progress in reducing national poverty rates, pockets of severe poverty persist in the mountainous states comprising the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR). This paper examines the geographic patterns and dynamics of consumption as well as multidimensional poverty in the IHR, drawing...

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Main Authors: Golam Rasul, Apsara Karki Nepal
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Heliyon
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240584402501953X
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author Golam Rasul
Apsara Karki Nepal
author_facet Golam Rasul
Apsara Karki Nepal
author_sort Golam Rasul
collection DOAJ
description Despite India's progress in reducing national poverty rates, pockets of severe poverty persist in the mountainous states comprising the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR). This paper examines the geographic patterns and dynamics of consumption as well as multidimensional poverty in the IHR, drawing insights from nationally representative household surveys. It explores the multifaceted factors influencing poverty, including geography, accessibility, social structures, economic activities, and environmental conditions. There is a significant variation in the incidence of consumption poverty across the IHR. While some states exhibit poverty rates lower than the national average, others, such as Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur, record higher rates, emphasizing the need for tailored poverty alleviation strategies. Multidimensional poverty in the IHR slightly exceeds the national average, with deprivations spread across various dimensions, including health, education, living standards, economic opportunities, and inaccessibility. Both types of poverty are highly correlated with larger household size and dependency ratio, and schedule caste/tribes. The important factors that could help reduce poverty appear to be education, access to clean energy including electricity, better sanitation services, and access to mobile phone services. To address poverty effectively in the IHR, comprehensive strategies are essential, including the development of farm and non-farm sectors, the provision of essential services, and targeted interventions tailored to local contexts. The paper underscores the importance of recognizing the unique challenges faced by mountainous regions and calls for region-specific policy interventions to achieve sustainable poverty reduction.
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spelling doaj-art-01c1cd18ded343d0b6b5633cddb6ce0e2025-08-20T03:50:22ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402025-07-011112e4356710.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e43567Geographic patterns and dimensions of poverty in the Indian Himalayan regionGolam Rasul0Apsara Karki Nepal1International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT), Dhaka, Bangladesh; Corresponding author.Economist, Applied Economic Research, Kathmandu, NepalDespite India's progress in reducing national poverty rates, pockets of severe poverty persist in the mountainous states comprising the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR). This paper examines the geographic patterns and dynamics of consumption as well as multidimensional poverty in the IHR, drawing insights from nationally representative household surveys. It explores the multifaceted factors influencing poverty, including geography, accessibility, social structures, economic activities, and environmental conditions. There is a significant variation in the incidence of consumption poverty across the IHR. While some states exhibit poverty rates lower than the national average, others, such as Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur, record higher rates, emphasizing the need for tailored poverty alleviation strategies. Multidimensional poverty in the IHR slightly exceeds the national average, with deprivations spread across various dimensions, including health, education, living standards, economic opportunities, and inaccessibility. Both types of poverty are highly correlated with larger household size and dependency ratio, and schedule caste/tribes. The important factors that could help reduce poverty appear to be education, access to clean energy including electricity, better sanitation services, and access to mobile phone services. To address poverty effectively in the IHR, comprehensive strategies are essential, including the development of farm and non-farm sectors, the provision of essential services, and targeted interventions tailored to local contexts. The paper underscores the importance of recognizing the unique challenges faced by mountainous regions and calls for region-specific policy interventions to achieve sustainable poverty reduction.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240584402501953XMountain povertySustainable development goalsIndiaIndian Himalayan regionGeography of poverty
spellingShingle Golam Rasul
Apsara Karki Nepal
Geographic patterns and dimensions of poverty in the Indian Himalayan region
Heliyon
Mountain poverty
Sustainable development goals
India
Indian Himalayan region
Geography of poverty
title Geographic patterns and dimensions of poverty in the Indian Himalayan region
title_full Geographic patterns and dimensions of poverty in the Indian Himalayan region
title_fullStr Geographic patterns and dimensions of poverty in the Indian Himalayan region
title_full_unstemmed Geographic patterns and dimensions of poverty in the Indian Himalayan region
title_short Geographic patterns and dimensions of poverty in the Indian Himalayan region
title_sort geographic patterns and dimensions of poverty in the indian himalayan region
topic Mountain poverty
Sustainable development goals
India
Indian Himalayan region
Geography of poverty
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240584402501953X
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