Abstract
The public economic system of hydropower plants (HPPs) offers a multifaceted research scope, ranging from technological imperatives and assessments to ethnographic studies and environmental resource allocation. The study is based on purposive sampling of 287 village households in the vicinity of hydropower plants in Odisha, using a structured and validated questionnaire survey to collect data on socioeconomic conditions, agricultural practices, and hydropower-related livelihoods. The sample comprises 10 villages selected under Water Panchayats associated with five large-scale hydroelectric power projects in Odisha. A Logit regression model is applied to estimate the determinants of Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA) by integrating institutional economics including Transaction Governance, Reduction in Risk and Uncertainties, Collective Action, and Social Norms. Other independent variables include Economic Benefits received from HPP (employment, skill development training, and health camps), family economic status (below Poverty Line), the family entitlement to Public Distribution System (PDS) for Rice and Structure of House (kutcha or others). The study analyses the awareness-practice gap levels in the village communities using the econometric model, reliability, and adequacy. Results show that North principles on uncertainty reduction (0.53, p = 0.04, z = 2.05) and integrated farming system (awareness 0.427659, p = 0.0076; practice 0.392779, p = 0.0083) have positive impact on Climate Smart villages based on the practice and awareness on CRA.
Keywords: Awareness-practice Gap, Climate Resilient Agriculture, Logit Regression, Odisha, Purposive Study