This study evaluates the well-being-based Quality of Life Index at the C.D. block level and examines determinants of life satisfaction and happiness among 300 Indigenous agrarian households in 12 representative villages of different adaptation zones within the Indian Sundarban Biosphere Reserve, a fragile, agriculture-dependent region in Southeast Asia. Using a cross-sectional survey and multistage random sampling, the study focuses on four QOLI dimensions: Human Capital, Physical Capital, Financial Capital, and Housing Index, encompassing 25 indicators. By reducing the dimensionality of the dataset, principal component analysis was used to examine the major causes of QOLI. Ordinal logistic regression identifies 11 key factors influencing life satisfaction and happiness, including gender, age, education, ethnic group, housing type, landholding size, and satisfaction with income, living standards, and neighbors. Wide inter-block spatial variation has been observed among the four aspects of the quality-of-life index. The Kultali C.D. block received the lowest level of composite index, while the Haroa C.D. block received the maximum level of composite index. The findings emphasize the need for targeted policies to uplift blocks with low QOLI and enhance regional well-being. This approach can be applied at different scales in other parts of India and other developing nations.
Shibu Das (2025) studied this question.