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Livelihood Strategies
RMMRU & Media-mix Enterprise
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Definition of Livelihood
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A livelihood is environmentallysustainable when it maintains orenhances the local and global assetsin which livelihoods depend, and hasnet beneficial effects on other
livelihoods.
A livelihood is socially sustainablewhich can cope with and recoverfrom stress and shocks, and providefor future generations.
Chambers and Conway (1991)
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Livelihood StudyLivelihood studies are generally used
to cluster information along several
analytical categories:
Context
social, economic, political andenvironmental dimensions,conditions and trends.
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Livelihood resources financial, natural, physical, human,political and social capital
Institutional Processes andOrganisational Structures
GO, civil society, private sector
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Livelihood Strategies productive and exchange activitiesand coping strategies
Livelihood outcomes
food security, health security,habitat security, education security,
safety and environmental security
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The Study and its Target Group
1.
2.
3.
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Using the SLA frame work we canconclude:
Poor is a non homogenous category in
Bangladesh (access to resources and
exposure to risk is different for even
different households)
Using poverty ranking of previousstudies we can divide poor of these
areas into three categories
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Livelihood and River Basin Areas
S Dimensions of LivelihoodTemporal
Periodisation according to RbE and flooding
Seasonality of occupationSpatial
Specific nature of livelihood depending onsoil / crop variations
Spatial / traditional orientation or root ofoccupations
Pre-existing migrant communities from other
districts, still regarded as outsiders
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S Preparedness & adjustmentsNature of settlements
chars (new and old) / mainland /riverbank
Nature of RE chapa bhanga / bhanga /
haria bhanga
early warning & harnessing indigenousknowledge
shifting and rebuilding
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S Displacement and settlement Its is always ad hoc results in
environment destruction
NGOs do not facilitate the settlementprocess
If NGOs adopt a strict timetable formoving in to the settlements this
might not work at all. Settlements are not linked to income
generating activities
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These activities and the trade, scaleand type could be decided upon bythe RbE affected people
Livestock cannot be attended and fedby the poor displaced people
Settlements are often insensitive to the
host community
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The Destitution ladderLoss of agricultural land / livestock due
to riverbank erosion Income loss and coping strategies
Vulnerability and adaptationthrough
diet change, borrowing, seasonal
labourmigration etc.
Lack of organisation(al support) at local
levelLoss of better social status
Lack of access to financial capital
Sell of liquid assets, productive assets
(land cattle etc.)
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ivelihood management &Mismanagement
S Aspects of Management Observation of early signs
Organisation at individual level Removal of household goods
Erection of temporary shelter
Quick selling of goods/animals Work as labour in local agriculture
Organisation at community level
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Agricultural (crop / land / cow) loss >community support > income substitution
through livestock rearing / fishing / wagelabour / sharecropper
Social security of women (headedhouseholds) ensured by community
Displacement and shelter in adjacent /relatives places
Displacement and relocation in newlands (khas and / or private as uthuli)
Displacement and resettlement utilisingbackup (land / money-lending / re-emerged char in other locations)
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Alternatives
F Switching to small businessesUse of productive land bought
elsewhere
Sub-contracting several arrangementsof sharecropping
Seasonal migration becomes routine
Getting decisions from local andinformal organisations (e.g. panchi) ofchar areas in favour
Asset rebuilding for long term gains > GO/ NGO support (loan / grant)
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S Dimensions of MismanagementLack of understanding in early days ofRbE
Lack of organisation and local standard
pricing for distress sell
Sudden loss & no help of neighbours /locals / relatives
- previous enmity with the localelite/interest groups
- pre existing difficult relationsLack of access to physical capital
Lack of access to human capital
(family level)
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Lack and/or loss of social networkingand capital
Lack of political capital articulate anda single voice
Arbitrariness in decisions of shamajand shalish
- land reclamation- redistribution of social wealth
Social insecurity of family / women dueto seasonal migration of the male
Reinforcement and re imposition ofearlier elite (community solidarity amongthe ultra poor does not grow even afterRbE)
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Lack of understanding / operationalexpediency of the GO / NGO officials
Lack of required diversity in bothmarket and skill
Lack of links to the market Lack of stocking of savings / grainstorage / livestock / trees / bamboo
Lack of savings (tendency of
withholding investment in productiveventures in the post displacementphase)
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Different Options for Livelihood
Strategy
Exchange Activities
Mixture of local labour, agriculture andseasonal migration
Livestock & poultry (only share rearing)
Accepting relatives help / shelter as theywant to repay for previous helps from theRbE victim
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Petty trading (may be starting withvegetables grown in the homesteadgarden)
Relying on neighbours to feed children
and 1 meal per day
Poverty Ranking
Helpless Poor >> Bottom Poor
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Coping Strategies
Networking with relatives and
depending on them
Hand to mouth (daily labour in the
locality) Long term migration (family or only
husband)
Moving away from business to
peddling Peddling and sharecropping
Bottom Poor >> Helpless Poor
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Productive Strategies
Local labour,
Agriculture (share cropping or small
piece of own land),Livestock (share rearing),
Other income sources at the locality likeshop keeping by one member of the
family, working at restaurant in theupazillaor part time job as a carpenter etc.
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Migration and taking land lease at home
Disinvesting (in chars) and movingtowards main land
Established due to back up (landed) atmore than one place and now investingthrough credit offers to viable borrowers
Social Poor >> Established / Wealthy
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Pertinent questions in a study on
RbE in North West Bangladesh
S Gender empowermentS
Community mobilization longterm awareness and coping ability
S Institutional responses GO /NGO role in long term
planning and actionS Legal aspects
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Sustainable living in the River basinarea and livelihood the way forward
S Social forestryS Crop diversification and awareness
programme
S Community fisheries (common poolresources)
S Income diversification and linkingwith settlement
S Development of communication andcommuting for easier access to
resources
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S Providing incentives to fieldlevel officers / workers of GO, NGO
S River management should becombined with input from socialscientists
S Land rights have to be established& propagated by the Govt. / NGOs
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Thank You
