Opportunities of Economic Globalisation and State Decentralisation". The study was planned and executed by a team led by K.N. Nair with

for comments and editorial assistance. Again, Krishnakumar C.S. and Jayakumari, L provided support to bring out this version. The research for this study received financing from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) through NCCR North-South and the Development Study Group, Institute of Geography, University of Zurich. Responsibility for the contents and the opinion expressed rests with the authors. 4ABSTRACT This paper examines the household livelihood strategies under agrarian distress in Pulpalli Panchayat of Kerala. It also looks at the relationship between household assets and livelihood strategies. The negotiations of institutions by the marginalized and depressed sections of the society were analysed in detail. Major causes of agrarian distress in the study area are the ecological degradation and fall in crops income. Land continues to be the mos