Livelihood and Environmental Sustainability Analysis Using Aquaculture-based Indicators: A Study on Selected CD Blocks of Purba Medinipur District, West Bengal

Abstract

Aquaculture-based sustainability can be defined as a continuous and harmonic interaction with the aquaculture ecosystems to the local communities. The present study was based on empirical analysis of some environmental and socio-economic databases to accentuate the sustainability of aquaculture activity and quality of standard of living. Therefore, water samples from fresh and salt water were tested to analyse the physicochemical characteristics like pH, SO4, F-, AS, DO, BOD and soil samples were analysed for the measurement of soil quality through pH, NH4+, HPO4 2-, K+ as environmental parameters and 40 questionnaire survey hadbeen conducted for the analysis of livelihood scenario. All these environmental parameters were tested and socio-economic indicators were equated at the standard scale to describethe aquaculture sustainability and its significant effect on environment and local people. The results showed that the degree of aquaculture from fresh water and salt water had influenced on the local economical sustainability but environmentally salt water aquaculture had some risks. Therefore, it has urgently needed some governance on the water quality with proper management. Finally, the result recommends that this area have potential for aquaculture activity in an organic way and this will be really helpful for maintaining the aquaculture management system and social well-beings in study area at the upcoming days.