A livelihood is to be sustainable as it comprises the capabilities, assets and activities required for a means of living. A livelihood is said to be sustainable when it can cope with and recover from stresses and shocks to maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets both now and in the future. The main objective of sustainable livelihood approach is a method of analysing and changing the lives of people experiencing poverty to improve their lives.
Sustainable livelihood framework is a tool for understanding how household livelihood system interacting with the outside environment. The objective and Importance of sustainable livelihood framework is to increase people control of their natural resources, build reliable and fair access to food. Most importantly empower the extreme poor through increasing the knowledge, skills and resources they need. Enabling the poor household to overcome their poverty, development projects so that they can reduce vulnerability by strengthening at community and household levels. Here are components of sustainable livelihood to enhance better living and reduced poverty.
What are the components of livelihood?
Household assets and capabilities are the basic components of sustainable livelihood. There are different types of livelihood which broadly includes,
1: Natural capital: shows importance to household members, active labour, education, knowledge and skills
2: Physical capital: livestock, equipment, vehicles, houses and irrigation pumps.
3: Human capital: access to land, water, grazing, fishing, forests, wild products and biodiversity.
4: Financial Capital: Includes income, saving, debt, jewellery, insurance and credit.
5: Social capital: includes group membership, social political voice and influence.
6: Household variables and public capital
Strength of Sustainable livelihoods framework:
The sustainable livelihood approach is only one way of organizing the complex issue that surround poverty of people. It must be made appropriate to local circumstances and local priorities. It helps to grow a strong foundation by,
1: Understand the changing combinations of modes of livelihood in a dynamic and historical context.
2: Explicitly advocates a creative tension between different levels of analysis and emphasizes the importance of macro and micro linkages.
3: Acknowledging the need to move beyond narrow spectral perspective and emphasizes seeing the linkages between sectors.
4: Calls for investigation of the relationships between different activities that constitute livelihood and draws attention to social relations.
It also helps to formulate development activities that are people centred, Responsive and participatory, Multilevel, dynamic and sustainable.
Outcomes of sustainable livelihood framework:
Following these sustainable Livelihood framework strategies aim to achieve livelihood outcomes. Decisions on sustainable livelihood strategies may invoke natural resources based, non natural resources based and off farm activities. Also, migration and remittance, pension, grants and short term versus long term outcomes some of which may complete. It is always advised to maintain a Potential sustainable livelihood outcomes including more income, increased well being, reduced vulnerability, improved food security and more sustainable used of natural resources. Sustainable livelihood can be achieved by training men and women in different fields to use, maintain and apply their skills on specific area and reduction in poverty.
