Perceived climate stress and livelihood conditions in Madhuban Mouza, a predominantly Scheduled Tribe village in West Bengal, India: a cross-sectional household survey

Introduction Rainfed rural livelihoods combine agricultural dependence with public employment and seasonal mobility. This study describes 75 completed household surveys from Madhuban Mouza, Bundwan Block, Puruliya District, West Bengal, conducted in September 2024. Methods We used a cross-sectional questionnaire survey and descriptive analysis of the available aggregate percentages, with the household as the unit of analysis. The 75 surveyed households are distinct from the 167 households recorded for the complete village in the 2011 Census. Results That Census recorded 654 Scheduled Tribe residents among 811 residents (80.64%); the survey narrative describes most respondents as Scheduled Tribe, but provides community-specific counts. Approximately 78% of surveyed households depended mainly on rainfed farming or livestock, 45% reported seasonal labour migration, and 38% reported involvement in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Approximately 78% reported irregular rainfall, 65% rising summer temperatures, and 70% crop failure or adverse livestock outcomes. Reported below-poverty-line status (approximately 78%) and kutcha or semi-pucca housing (approximately 65%) characterized material conditions. Discussion These summarized indicators describe coexisting conditions among the completed surveys. These findings identify questions for local evaluation of water security, agricultural and livestock support, reliable public employment, and migrant-worker protection.