Assessment of Sustainability and Priorities for Development of Indian West Coast Region: An Application of Sustainable Livelihood Security Indicators

Abstract

The measurement of sustainability in terms of social, economic, and ecological indicators significantly influences the achievement of sustainable development goals. This paper presents a sustainable livelihood security index (SLSI) by selecting 20 indicators and positions them within the ecological, economic, and social dimensions of sustainable development for the Indian west coast. These indicators were first normalized and, using estimated weights, indices were computed. Important indicators were shortlisted by a two-step process, namely, principal component analysis and linear and nonlinear weighted scores. The results revealed that indicators such as forest cover, net sown area, milk availability, groundwater availability, land productivity, food grain availability, rural road connectivity, villages electrified, and land degradation were found to be important indicators. Kerala was found as the most developed state followed by Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Goa in linear and non-linear weighted scoring. The study identifies the Jamnagar, Junagadh, Kachchh, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg districts as the districts with the highest priority for development through investment and policy interventions. The study concludes that the west coast region, in terms of its sustainable development levels, improved significantly with a focus on low-SLSI districts by considering ecological, economic, and social dimensions in planning for technological development and dissemination.