Determinants of multiple access modes of wetland resources: A case study on bhandardaha Beel of Murshidabad district, West Bengal, India

Wetlands in Murshidabad district play a significant role by providing many goods and services in the livelihoods of the local people. Bhandardaha is one of the important wetland situated in the west of the Bhagirathi river afforded many direct use benefits to the surrounding people by means of wetland cultivation, fishing, irrigation, jute ratting, cattle grazing and collections of small fish, snails etc.. In present study, various determinants influencing the diverse usages of wetland has been examined by the multiple regression technique among 110 respondents over randomly selected five villages around the Beel. The results reveals that the lower income groups with minimum educated respondents are highly depend on direct access of wetland resources. The study accentuates the need for conservation of wetland resources in the era of climatic change to prolong the economy of underprivileged rural commoners.