Coping with Food and Nutrition Insecurity by Rural Women in Drought-prone Bolangir District of Western Odisha^§

Among various disadvantaged groups, rural women in the poverty stricken region are the most vulnerable section in the society. This paper has analysed the nature and sources of consumption baskets of the rural women in Bolangir district of Odisha and their coping mechanism in the face of frequent droughts and seasonality. The study finds that these rural women have been significantly affected by the direct and indirect impacts of drought. They have been hit hard in the form of consumption shortfalls and decreased access to water resources for drinking and domestic purposes. The reduced access to water resources has compelled them to walk a longer distance to collect utilizable water. The steep decline in income from agriculture has forced them to accept increased family responsibility with lesser food intake. The reduced food consumption, irregularity in consumption and increased levels of physical strain and mental stress have resulted in adverse health impacts for the majority of affected women folk. For adjusting with drought-induced scarcity situations, they have resorted more to non-timber forest produces (NTFPs) and have diversified their activities through their involvement in village level institutions like SHGs so as to tackle food insecurity and nutrition deficiency.