How vulnerable are Wular lake fishing communities vis-à-vis non fishing communities in rural Kashmir? insights and interventions from the Socio-Economic Vulnerability Index (SEVI) based study

Wular in the Kashmir valley is a lake spread over 11, 277 ha. Fed by River Jhelum, this biodiversity-rich lake supports the livelihood of 32, 000 families living in 50 villages in Bandipora and Baramulla districts. However, large-scale land use changes-in the form of settlements, plantations and agriculture and of the ill effects of global warming-have led to siltation, shrinkage of the lake area and alterations in the water flow. This study revealed that all the fishing villages had low vulnerability (0.21 to 0.40) except for Kunas in Bandipore district, which had moderate vulnerability (0.41 to 0.60). Using SEVI values, the key indicators responsible for high sensitivity and low adaptive capacity are identified and criteria-based development interventions at village levels suggested taking the most vulnerable village (Kunas) as an example. Enhancing education levels, strengthening community and rural infrastructure and diversifying livelihood strategies are the key short-term strategies for transforming the landscape of rural Kashmir in the Wular region.