Volume V Special Issue VI December 2025

Name of Author : USIYA M JOPH

Title of the paper : A Livelihood Transformation Study of Climate Induced Migration: Online Employment and Digital Market

Abstract: Digital transformation is reshaping livelihood opportunities, particularly for communities facing climate induced vulnerabilities. This study investigates how climate change influences livelihood transitions toward digital employment among residents of Kuttanad, a flood and drought prone agro ecological region in Kerala, India. Using a mixed method approach, primary data were collected from 120 climate affected participants through semi structured interviews, focus group discussions, and surveys across six panchayats. Exploratory factor analysis revealed two latent constructs Economic Vulnerability and Livelihood Stability that explain over 90% of the variance in livelihood stressors. A chi-square test established a strong association between climate impact and digital income change χ²2 = 69.34, p < 0.001. Ordinal logistic regression demonstrated that climate pressure, rather than education or skill level, is the most significant predictor of transition to online work β = −2.50, p ≈ 0.0007. Further, non-parametric tests showed that education and occupation still shape the extent of perceived livelihood development. The findings confirm that climate disruptions are accelerating the adoption of online jobs, gig work, and micro ecommerce as adaptive strategies to sustain household income. However, unequal technological access and skill readiness continue to constrain digital inclusion. The study concludes that digital livelihood interventions embedded within broader climate adaptation policy frameworks are essential to building long term socio economic resilience for vulnerable communities. Despite being geographically limited to Kuttanad, the results offer critical insights for scaling sustainable digital employment models in climate-affected regions universally.

Keywords : Climate induced livelihood stress; Digital platform adoption; Economic vulnerability; Livelihood stability; Adaptive digital employment

DOI :

Page Number : 47-54