Population, Poverty and Environmental Degradation: A Special Case of
Common Property Resources (CPRs) in Tamil Nadu

A. Kannan; S. Sripriya

doi:10.46609/IJSSER.2025.v10i09.052

Title: Population, Poverty and Environmental Degradation: A Special Case of Common Property Resources (CPRs) in Tamil Nadu
Authors: A. Kannan and S. Sripriya
Journal: International Journal of Social Science and Economic Research (IJSSER) ISSN: 2455-8834 Volume: 10 Issue: 9 Publication Date: September 2025 DOI: 10.46609/IJSSER.2025.v10i09.052
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A. Kannan1 and S. Sripriya2 1. Assistant Professor of Environmental Economics, School of Economics, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai-625 021, TamilNadu 2. Assistant Professor of Economics, Sri G.V.G. Visalakshi College for Women, Udumalpet-642 128, Tamil Nadu
MLA 8 A. Kannan, and S. Sripriya. "Population, Poverty and Environmental Degradation: A Special Case of Common Property Resources (CPRs) in Tamil Nadu." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, vol. 10, no. 9, Sept. 2025, pp. 4501-4515, doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2025.v10i09.052. Accessed Sept. 2025. APA 6 Kannan, A & Sripriya, S. (2025, September). Population, Poverty and Environmental Degradation: A Special Case of Common Property Resources (CPRs) in Tamil Nadu. Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, 10(9), 4501-4515. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2025.v10i09.052 Chicago A. Kannan, and S. Sripriya. "Population, Poverty and Environmental Degradation: A Special Case of Common Property Resources (CPRs) in Tamil Nadu." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research 10, no. 9 (September 2025), 4501-4515. Accessed September, 2025. https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2025.v10i09.052.
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ABSTRACT: The responsibility of CPRs in rural India's daily affairs is estimated, considering variations in BPL and APL populations, according to recent poverty estimates. The study uses two recent poverty estimates from the Government of India, the 2009 and 2014 reports of the Expert Group on Poverty Measurement, to classify households (HHs) into BPL and APL. This study selected 709 HHs, representing one-fourth of the sample village's total, to examine the role of CPRs and its impact on daily livelihood sustenance of the households belong to BPL and APL. Statistical tools like percentage analysis and averages were used to establish relationships between theoretical variables and investigate the linkage between people and CPRs, particularly between BPL and APL households. The study reveals that 67 per cent of the population relied on CPRs for their life and livelihood. Tendulkar and Rengarajan committee estimates reveal that 54.1 per cent and 58 per cent of BPL and 13.1 per cent and 6.7 per cent of APL households in a sample village rely on CPRs for life and livelihood needs. It shows that 59.5 per cent of the sample HHs relies on CPRs due to poor family background. The study estimate shows that 51.3 per cent of households in BPL and 8.2 per cent in APL, as per Tendulkar committee poverty estimates and 54.4 per cent and 5.1 per cent respectively of BPL and APL category households as per Rengarajan committee poverty estimate relies on CPRs primarily due to poor family background. The study found that 67 per cent of sample households rely on CPRs for fuel wood, with 53.9 per cent and 58 per cent of BPL HHs respectively of Tendulkar and Rengarajan committee poverty estimate relies on CPRs for energy. According to Tendulkar committee estimates, the study found that BPL and APL households in the study village collected an average of 1718 and 1561 Kg of fuel wood from CPRs for cooking and heating purposes. Whereas in Rengarajan committee estimate, the BPL and APL households collected an average of 1712 Kg and 1525 Kg of fuel wood from CPRs for cooking and heating purposes. The household receives an annual income of Rs.5619 from employment opportunities provided by CPR-based activities. CPR-based activities provide HHs with an average of 254 man days of employment per annum, which serves as their primary revenue source. The total annual income received from CPRs was estimated to be Rs.2530 per household per year. The study found that BPL and APL households in India receive income from CPRs at rates of Rs.2756 and Rs.2088 per annum as per Tendulkar committee poverty estimate and Rs.2668 and Rs.2132 per annum as per Rengarajan committee estimate in the sample village.

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