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Abstract
of Sustainable Livelihoods Concept Paper
This paper gives a
brief outline of the concept of sustainable livelihoods. As one
of UNDP's five corporate mandates, sustainable livelihoods (SL) offers
both a conceptual and programming framework for poverty reduction in a
sustainable manner. Conceptually, livelihoods connote the means,
activities, entitlements and assets by which people make a living.
Assets, in this particular context, are defined as not only natural/biological
(i.e. land, water, common-property resources, flora fauna), but also social
(i.e. community, family, social networks), human (i.e. knowledge, creation
by skills), and physical (i.e. roads, markets, clinics, schools, bridges).
The sustainability
of livelihoods becomes a function of how men and women utilise asset portfolios
on both a short and long-term basis. Sustainability should be defined
in a broad manner and implies the ability to cope with and recover from
shocks and stresses; economic efficiency, or the use of minimal inputs
to generate a given amount of outputs; ecological integrity, ensuring
that livelihood activities do not irreversibly degrade natural resources
within a given ecosystem; and social equity which suggests that promotion
of livelihood opportunities for one group should not foreclose options
for other groups, either now or in the future.
In other words, SL
is the capability of people to make a living and improve their quality
of live without jeopardizing the livelihood options of others, either
now or in the future. this paper also discusses the SL value added
to policy and programming. Examples of SL being implemented in the
field are examined in a section on practical experiences. future
directions for SL development are also examined. The paper concludes
with an analysis of the SL approach with regard to infrastructure financing,
poverty reduction and inequality.
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