A unique environmental augmented household-level livelihood panel dataset from Nepal

Area of Science:

• Socioeconomic studies
• Environmental economics
• Agricultural economics

Background:

• Rural livelihoods are complex and influenced by environmental factors.
• Understanding household dynamics is crucial for development in regions like Nepal.
• Limited longitudinal data exists on environmental resource use and income in rural Nepal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present primary household-level panel data for investigating rural livelihood dynamics in Nepal.
• To augment data with environmental resource use information for estimating household environmental income.
• To provide a reusable dataset for diverse analyses of income, assets, and shocks.

Main Methods:

• Collected primary household-level panel data across three physiographic regions in Nepal (2006, 2009, 2012).
• Included variables on household demographics, assets, income sources (including environmental income), and shock experiences.
• Employed trained enumerators and structured surveys, with data collection on income (quarterly) and assets (twice yearly).

Main Results:

• The dataset captures detailed household demographics, assets, and diverse income streams.
• Environmental resource use and household shock experiences are integrated into the dataset.
• Valuation methods for products and subsistence goods ensure data quality for price estimation.

Conclusions:

• The presented dataset offers a valuable resource for studying rural livelihood dynamics in Nepal.
• The environmental augmentation allows for novel analyses of household environmental income.
• The data's flexibility supports research across various topics, data types, and temporal scales.