Access to safe drinking water and sanitation are essential fundamental rights for every citizen of a country. It is an important indicator of quality of life. Inadequate access to WASH services harms children under five and adolescent girls. This study examines the status of WASH services in West Bengal. A comprehensive assessment of WASH services was conducted using data from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey. Data were statistically analyzed using Stata V. 14.1 software. A multivariate ordinal logistic regression model was applied to examine the association between experimental and explanatory variables. Furthermore, adjusted odds ratios, significance levels, and confidence intervals were provided for each dummy variable. The study found that only 33.69% of households in West Bengal have access to improved sources of drinking water. Moreover, only 74.35% of households have access to hygienic sanitation facilities within their premises, while 14.60% still practice open defecation. However, urban, Pucca, and non-nuclear households have better access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene. The study also reported that drainage facilities are lacking in the state. Finally, the study recommends some policy measures to improve the access of WASH services in the state.

This study examines the grassroot perceptions surrounding the adoption of Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) as a sustainable solution for soil and water conservation in the Garhwal Himalaya. The study is based on responses from 260 respondents across multiple villages in the region, obtained through a multistage sampling approach, and uses descriptive statistics (frequency counts, percentages) and Pearson correlation as statistical tools. It assesses awareness levels, perceived benefits, barriers to adoption, and the key socio-economic factors influencing the use of vetiver grass in the Garhwal region. The analysis revealed that only 18.85% of respondents were both aware of and using vetiver, while over half (51.53%) had no awareness of the plant and its conservation potential. Although some respondents recognized vetiver’s contributions to soil fertility, fodder provision, and erosion control, a substantial proportion indicated uncertainty or limited knowledge about its benefits. Key barriers identified include a lack of technical support (58.85%), limited awareness (51.54%), and restricted access to planting materials (45%), with a significant portion of respondents unsure about the challenges they faced. These findings highlight a pressing need for targeted intervention, awareness programs, improved extension services, and strengthened supply chains to enable wider adoption. By addressing these gaps, vetiver can play a transformative role in promoting ecological restoration and enhancing sustainable rural livelihoods in the vulnerable regions of the Himalaya.

Migration is a defining process in mountain regions worldwide, reshaping lives, livelihoods, economies, and landscapes, yet its developmental impacts remain deeply contested. This study examines the scale, patterns, drivers, and implications of out-migration in the Uttarakhand Himalaya, with particular attention to its intersections with the broader agenda of sustainable mountain development. Drawing on two years of ethnographic fieldwork across all ten mountainous districts of Uttarakhand, the research combines complete household enumeration in ten villages with focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics and a binary logistic regression model, while qualitative insights provided community perspectives on the drivers and impacts of out-migration in the region. The findings reveal stark altitudinal and district-level variations: low-lying, better-connected villages report the highest out-migration, while remote, high-altitude settlements show lower rates. Migration is strongly selective, dominated by working-age males, educated youth, socially advantaged groups, and individuals employed in the service sector, while disadvantaged groups such as Scheduled Castes and women face constrained mobility due to limited resources and restrictive gender norms. Although remittances are received, their scale is limited because of high rates of permanent out-migration and they are largely spent on household consumption, reducing their developmental potential. At the same time, mass out-migration has led to village depopulation, abandonment of agro-pastoral land, feminization of mountain agriculture, declining farm output, and rising human-wildlife conflict. Interpreted through Neo-classical migration theory, the Push-Pull Model, the Neo-Marxist perspective, and the Aspirations-Capabilities framework, the results show that migration embodies both agency and constraint, producing uneven outcomes across altitudes, districts, and social groups. Importantly, the study emphasizes that migration should not merely be viewed as a developmental problem but as a mechanism that, if strategically harnessed, can contribute to sustainable mountain development in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR). Leveraging migration for the sustainable development requires channeling remittances into productive rural investments, supporting return migrants in entrepreneurship and knowledge transfer, and strengthening social remittances to improve education, governance, and climate resilience. The study concludes with region-specific policy recommendations that focus on short-term livelihood support and longer-term systemic reforms, aiming to align migration with the goals of sustainable mountain development in the Uttarakhand Himalaya in particular, and the IHR more broadly.

Throughout history, out-migration has significantly impacted the Garhwal Himalaya. This is a common phenomenon, and people have used it to diversify their risk and livelihood options. This paper evaluates the extent of out-migration in the Garhwal Himalaya and examines the different types, patterns, reasons, and implications of out-migration. The study was conducted by gathering data from the 12 villages of the Garhwal Himalaya. A total of 560 households were surveyed from the villages, covering 100% sample from each village. The authors constructed a structured questionnaire and asked the heads of each surveyed household about the types of migration they practice, the locations of migration, the reasons for migration, and the consequences of such migration. In addition, the authors asked about migrants' age, sex, education, income, and occupation. The study reveals that out-migration in the Garhwal Himalaya has become a major problem since it has led to many socio-economic problems in the region. And if it is not addressed at its earliest, a large number of villages will become depopulated. Additionally, this study suggests some policy measures to curb out-migration from the Garhwal Himalaya.