The spatial and economic footprint of the coal industry on rural livelihoods in Jharkhand, India

Pelz, S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3528-8679, Krumm, A., Aklin, M., Nandan, V., & Urpelainen, J. (2024). The spatial and economic footprint of the coal industry on rural livelihoods in Jharkhand, India. Energy Policy 186 e113973. 10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113973.

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Abstract

The socio-economic dimensions of coal mining in India form a complex picture of inter-linked livelihoods and economic dependencies. In this article, we contribute to sharpening this understanding through an analysis of household reliance on coal-related livelihoods. Through a telephone survey of 2000 households, stratified by proximity to active coal mines (within 5 km, 5–10 km, and 10–20 km), we provide new evidence of the spatial nature of formal and informal coal-related employment. Our findings indicate a pronounced concentration of coal-related livelihoods within a 5 km radius of active mines, whereas approximately half of the households in each distance stratum are reliant on casual labour incomes. This work sheds light on the concentrated spatial footprint of extractive industries and broader challenges of employment informality relevant to necessary just transition and rural development policies in India.

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