Impacts of Urbanization and Development Activities on Sustainable Development and Resource Management of the Majhi People of Nepal

Abstract

This study deals with how the Majhi people who are dependent on rivers for livelihood are affected by the rapid growth of urbanization and development activities. Due to the urbanization and development activities, they not only lost their traditional occupations like boating and fishing in the rivers but also are forced to displace from the native territory. Overall, it talks about their traditional occupation like boating and fishing, their way of resource management. Moreover, it presents the ecological, social and cultural impacts on Majhi community, their present livelihood strategies, the attitude of young generation towards traditional occupation and finally about the expectation and aspiration of Majhi people. The findings show that instead of being benefited by the so-called indicators of prosperity; urbanization and development activities, the Majhi peoples’ life is becoming economically harder day by day. Before the urbanization and development took place in their native area, they had subsistence livelihood strategies. They could easily survive utilizing the local natural resources. The Majhi people are still in the transitional stage of adopting new strategies for livelihood. They neither have a good education and economic background nor have some new skills. Keywords: Majhi people, traditional occupation, urbanization, development activities, sustainable development, traditional ecological knowledge, resource management